George McConnell (cricketer)

George Thomas McConnell (3 January 1938 – 9 April 2019) was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Wellington from 1961 to 1971.

George McConnell's family moved from Australia to New Zealand when he was a boy, and he attended Hutt Valley High School.[1] An tall off-spin bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, McConnell had his best season in 1961-62, when he took 20 wickets at an average of 13.30.[2] In Wellington’s first match that season he took 3 for 13 and 6 for 41 (his best bowling figures) and made 38 (his highest score) in an innings victory over Otago.[3]

McConnell also played Hawke Cup cricket for Hutt Valley from 1960 to 1975. In 1967-68 he played a leading part in Hutt Valley's title-winning victory over Nelson, when he took 6 for 21 and 6 for 57 and, batting at number eight, made 60, the only fifty on either side in the match.[4]