Terms 1 and 4 (Summer)
The College Cricket Club is one of the oldest sports at school, with several Old Boys playing for New Zealand. Notable Old Boys include Tom Lowry (first New Zealand test captain) and John Wright.
Coaches are a mixture of College staff, external professionals and parents.
All practice takes place at the Christ’s College cricket ground in South Hagley Park.
Year 9 teams play either full-day or afternoon cricket, depending on their grade. Other teams play T20 matches starting at 9am or 12.30pm. The top senior sides begin at 10.30am.
College cricket teams play in several traditional inter-school fixtures in New Zealand and Australia and have regular tours to the United Kingdom. The most recent tour to the UK was in April 2023.
Cricket Convenor: Keryn Ambler – email hidden; JavaScript is required
Venue: Christ’s College Cricket Ground, South Hagley Park
Training: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
Uniform: College whites and cap
Recent Success
2024
- Three players selected for Canterbury U17 team which won the National Championship
- 2nd in the 1st XI Championship (two-day competition)
- 2nd in 1st XI T20 category
- 1st in Development T20 category (2nd XI)
2023
- Holder of Heathcote Williams Shield
- Holder of Fulton Nichols Cup
- Winner of the 1st XI one-day Christchurch competition
2022
- 1st XI wins Gillette Cup (NZSS Championship) for first time in school history
- 1st XI wins CMCA 1st XI Championship one-day and two-day titles
- 1st XI current holders of Heathcote Williams Shield (NZ schools trophy)
- Three players selected for Canterbury U19 team to play at National tournament
- Development XI wins CMCA Cup one-day title
Cricket Coaching Staff
Andrew Levenger
1st XI Manager
Andrew Levenger
1st XI Manager
Andrew was a strike bowler, taking a best of eight for 52 and securing a 50-wicket haul in his final year at school. A back injury forced his retirement from the cut and thrust of club cricket in 2007. He has scored one century and taken the wickets of two test players – although they were both a little past their prime.
Following a fine season coaching the 9A Blacks to silverware in 2018, Andrew has moved up and continues to work his wonders as 1st XI manager.
Dan Vann
Dan Vann
Ben Sheat is an experienced basketball coach with a strong background in player development and high-performance coaching. He is the Head Coach of the New Zealand U15 Men’s team and an Assistant Coach for the Canterbury Rams. With a passion for helping athletes reach their full potential, Ben emphasises leadership, skill development, and creating a positive team culture. His expertise and commitment make him a valuable asset to Christ’s College basketball.
Keryn Ambler
1st XI Coach
Keryn Ambler
1st XI Coach
Keryn Ambler has a lifelong passion for cricket – as a player, captain and coach.
In his youth, he played in representative age groups and for Canterbury A. More recently, he played 14 seasons of premier cricket with the Lancaster Park Cricket Club. Keryn was fortunate to play three seasons abroad – two in the UK, and one in the Netherlands – as a player/coach. He is Development Manager at Christchurch Metro Cricket.
Keryn has a Bachelor in Sport and Recreation Management, Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (PE and Health), and a NZ Cricket Level 2 coaching certificate.
He believes the key to successful coaching is not only about knowing the game technically and tactically, but also relating to each player, coaching them as individuals and drawing them together to create a unified team.