Crowe-Thorpe Trophy to recognise batting giants

The late Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe will be remembered by the England and BLACKCAPS Test teams with a trophy bearing their names.

On the morning of the first Test match against England in Christchurch, the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy—a joint effort by NZC, the ECB, and each player's family—will be introduced.

In their respective eras, both were extremely successful Test batsmen: Thorpe, who averaged 44.66 with 16 hundreds and a maximum score of 200 not out against New Zealand in 2002, and Crowe, who averaged 45.36 and recorded 17 hundreds with a maximum score of 299.

The trophy, created by David Ngawati of Mahu Creative, is made from wood taken from each player's bat and will be used in upcoming Test matches between England and New Zealand.

Last summer, David was the artisan who created the Tangiwai Shield for the Test match between South Africa and New Zealand.

Graham scored his first two hundreds against New Zealand in back-to-back Test matches in 1997 using the bat that the Thorpe family (a Kookaburra) gave him, while Martin made his century at Lord's in 1994 with the bat that the Crowe family contributed.

Scott Weenink, the CEO of New Zealand, stated that it was appropriate that the newly titled trophy will preserve the memories and tales of both athletes.

According to Weenink, "the players of today are standing on the shoulders of those who came before them, players like Graham and Martin."

It's good that we acknowledge this and honor their heritage.

"Both were extremely skilled batsmen who knew the game very well; they were respected everywhere they played."

"Martin and Graham are two game legends, so it is appropriate that Test series between our two men's sides will now be contested in their names," stated ECB Chief Executive Officer Richard Gould.

"I hope that by honoring them in this way, we can help ensure that the memories and legacies of two of our nations' finest cricketers live on long into the future, even though it is heartbreaking to have lost both men so early."

Thorpe, who made his Test debut in 1993 and played 100 matches, was a mainstay for the New Zealand sides, scoring four hundreds and averaging 53 against them. He passed away earlier this year at the age of 55.

During his most recent visit to Lord's, Crowe amassed five hundreds against England, including 142. Extremely courageous, he scored runs in the most trying conditions, such as Georgetown, where he faced a West Indian attack that included Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Malcom Marshall. At age 53, he passed away in 2016.

Martin's sister Deb Crowe and former England Test captain Michael Atherton will reveal the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy on the field prior to Thursday's national anthems.