George McConnell (cricketer)

{{Short description|New Zealand cricketer (1938–2019)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2020}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = George McConnell

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = George Thomas McConnell

| country =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1938|1|3|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Innisfail, Queensland, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|4|9|1938|1|3|df=yes}}

| death_place = Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm off-spin

| club1 = Wellington

| year1 = 1960–61 to 1971–72

| columns = 2

| column1 = FC

| matches1 = 18

| runs1 = 221

| bat avg1 = 14.73

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 38

| deliveries1 = 3065

| wickets1 = 50

| bowl avg1 = 21.96

| fivefor1 = 4

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 6/41

| catches/stumpings1= 15/–

| column2 = List A

| matches2 = 3

| runs2 = 3

| bat avg2 = 3.00

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 3

| deliveries2 = 192

| wickets2 = 5

| bowl avg2 = 14.80

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = n/a

| best bowling2 = 2/16

| catches/stumpings2= 0/–

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/37851.html Cricinfo

| date = 7 September 2017

}}

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.[https://www.cricketwellington.co.nz/asset/downloadasset?id=bc17237f-abe6-486b-ab9c-6d84af34e429 "Obituaries"], Cricket Wellington Annual Report 2018-19, p. 80. A tall off-spin bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman, McConnell had his best first-class season in 1961–62, when he took 20 wickets at an average of 13.30.{{cite web|title=First-class Bowling in Each Season by George McConnell|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22416/f_Bowling_by_Season.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2017}} 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.{{cite web|title=Wellington v Otago 1961-62|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/25/25272.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2017}}

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.{{cite web|title=Nelson v Hutt Valley 1967-68|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/123/123604.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=27 November 2017}}