Burnside West Christchurch University Cricket Club top-10 wicket-takers (10-6) - part one
Burnside West Christchurch University Cricket Club | July 21, 2025
We’ve already relived the stories of Burnside West Christchurch University Cricket Club’s top ten batsmen.
Now it’s time to turn the spotlight to the bowlers – the men who have steamed in and spun webs, dismantled up line-ups and carved out legacies.
Since joining the Christchurch Metro competition in 1905, BWCUCC has been blessed with some of Canterbury’s finest exponents of the craft.
From George Geary’s iconic 10-50 in 1955/56 to Scott Inglis’ swansong 9-49, to Jackson Latham’s semi-final hat-trick in the march to the 2021/22 one-day title, the club’s bowling heritage is littered with jaw-dropping moments. We’ve trawled the archives and pulled together the club’s top ten all-time wicket-takers. These aren’t just great cricketers. They’re great men. Loyal clubmen. Characters of Burnside.
Here is Part One of two (10-6).
10. JS Patrick – 335 wickets
Jimmy Patrick was a magician. His quick leggies baffled batsmen from 1934 to 1957, claiming 335 wickets in 189 two-day games at just 20.5 apiece. He snagged 17 five-fors and one ten-for, including a legendary 9-95 against Lancaster Park where he had 7-17 by lunch.
Ever the club man, Patrick continued in lower grades after his top-flight career and became a life member in 1962. The club’s spin bowling trophy is named in his honour.
Club legends Jimmy Patrick and Al Brown.
9. MW Hay – 354 wickets
Entering this list off the back of a sensational 2024/25 season with the ball, Matt Hay is the only active player to feature.
The current Premier captain now features on both the batting and bowling lists at only 27 years old.
Hay’s right-arm off spin has complemented the riches of fast bowlers Burnside have produced over the past decade. And although Hay’s bowling has been more dominant than any other in Christchurch Premier cricket of late, it has been massively underused at the next level – only bowling in two of his four List A matches with a BBI of 1/26, and never in T20 cricket. Hay has a knack for collecting big bags of wickets in two-day cricket and suffocating batsmen with tremendous accuracy in white-ball cricket.
MW Hay in action in the Premier T20 Final against OBC.
8. MD Farrant – 364 wickets
The name Farrant echoes through Burnside. Matt Farrant, son of David (a top-ten batsman), was the metronome at the other end of Scott Inglis for a decade. From 201 appearances, Farrant’s seamers snared 364 wickets, peaking with 7-11. A Gillette Cup winner with Christchurch Boys’ and New Zealand U19 rep, he played multiple seasons for Canterbury A and bookended his career perfectly – winning titles in 2017 and 2022, the latter in his final game.
7. CM Kirk – 409 wickets
Chris Kirk, the left-arm spinner with velvet hands and a ruthless streak. Between 1966 and 1980, Kirk gathered 409 wickets with subtle changes of pace and fierce turn. His 16-64 remains the second-best match return in club history, while his 8-27 is an innings to remember. Kirk later represented Canterbury and Otago in 35 first-class and six List A matches, averaging 27.25 and 11.8 respectively. A lone club century adds to his legacy. He was, simply, ahead of his time.
Chris Kirk in action at Lancaster Park.
6. HJ Kember – 420 wickets
Left-arm spin finds another home here with Hamish Kember, who took 420 wickets between 1989 and 2004. Kember holds the club’s one-day wicket record (145) and once bowled 10 overs for six runs – the most economical spell in BWCUCC history. His 7-22 remains a standout. In the 1991/92 season, 52 wickets earned him Canterbury honours. Today, he still dons the whites for the BWCUCC Presidents and New Zealand Over-50s.
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