Brian Charles Adams
16 October 1940 – 22 July 2025

Brian, or sometimes known as Sam, often and affectionately to his friends, died earlier this week.

While everyone leaves this Earth having made their mark in some way, it can be truly said, and without any exaggeration, that Brian lived an amazing life of service. In so doing, it was full of selfless giving and sharing.

In the context of this article, Brian devoted much of his life to cricket, and in particular, cricket administration.

He attended Heaton Intermediate School and then St Andrew’s College where he made his mark inside and outside the classroom. Sport was his first love and he excelled in rugby and cricket and made both the 1st XV and 1st XI. Upon leaving school in 1958, he studied dentistry at Canterbury and then Otago Universities. While diminutive in size, he pursued cricket and joined the West Christchurch University CC in 1959 before his OE took him to England in 1966. He joined the London New Zealand CC which played, in nomadic fashion, around England and Western Europe.

Upon his return in 1968, Brian continued to play for West Christchurch University as a fine batsman and wicketkeeper. Representative honours had come in the form of the New Zealand Universities team in 1965 and the New Zealand Ambassadors team which embarked on a world tour in 1970.
He continued to play for his club which, in 1971, moved its headquarters and became the Burnside West University CC. Brian played a mixture of cricket at Premier, grade and presidents’ level until he stopped playing in 1988.

However, it was off the field that Brian was to provide outstanding service to cricket in New Zealand from club level to National and international level. He became a highly successful, and sought after, administrator. On numerous occasions, committees and provincial bodies would look to Brian to seek his advice, knowledge and services.

He developed his skills at club level; first serving the West Christchurch University club from 1968 through to 1981 as club captain, treasurer, senior selector and President. He was made a Life Member in 1980. Concurrently, he was a delegate to the Canterbury Cricket Association and served on the management committee from 1975. His various roles included a variety of committees: chairing the grading, match, grounds, finance and cricket committees. He also served as a selector of various teams including Canterbury Brabin (Under 20) and Canterbury Rothmans (Under 23). He was chairman of the Association from 1985 and 1993. He was the Association’s President from 1993 to 1995 and then, again, from 2002 to 2006. Further, Brian served on the Board of Control from 2006 to 2011.

Brian had vast experience and, as a safe pair of hands, was charged with providing a document of current trends in club cricket Christchurch and how they might impact on cricket’s future in the province. This detailed document remains today, over 20 years on, as the definitive reference for Christchurch Metro and Canterbury Cricket administrators.

Brian was in the van of a small group of senior cricketers who threatened to split the club when a decision had to be made in 1970 where the club’s future lay: Hagley Oval, Ilam Fields or Burnside Park. A Special General Meeting initially saw the University rump narrowly win the day for Ilam Fields but, after a further meeting was forced, the senior players had their way and, in 1971, the club moved to Burnside Park and combined with the Burnside Club which played under the Suburban Association.

And again, Brian was looked to over the requisition of a new ground. With Canterbury Rugby and Canterbury Cricket sharing Lancaster Park (through the Victory Park Board Act), Canterbury Cricket looked to establish its own first-class ground given the overlap of both codes.
Brian was enlisted to lead that venture.

He looked at the A and P grounds, the Netball Centre, the Village Green (at QE II), Hagley Oval (not realistically favoured because of the local political and environmental hurdles) and Addington. While the A and P and Addington were the favoured options, it was Hagley Oval that was to become the favoured option due to the support of Bob Parker, Christchurch mayor.

So, again, Brian’s contribution was significant as the dream became a reality in 2013.

Brian also served on the Victory Park Board of Control (which administered Lancaster Park) from 1987 to 1995 and served as its Chairman in 1993.
Brian was made a Life Member of Canterbury Cricket in 1995.

Brian served on the New Zealand Cricket Council from 1988 to 1996, specifically in areas of marketing and junior cricket.
Brian was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2013 for services to cricket.

On a personal level, Brian showed a passion as Canterbury Cricket’s historian and statistician. He produced the History of Burnside West Christchurch University CC on the celebration of its 75th anniversary (in 1980) and, again, an updated version for the club’s centenary in 2005). He also wrote four volumes of those Canterbury male cricketers who played for their province at first-class level. His meticulous tracking and recording player stats at club and representative level form a vast reference to this day.

Repeatedly, Brian’s strengths shone through: he was intelligent, thoughtful, considered, a listener, experienced, detailed, consistent and thorough. He was hugely respected and well-liked throughout the cricket world.

While his contribution to cricket was vast, Brian still found ample time to run a successful dental practice. But the real secret to his outstanding service was the selfless support of Anita and their family.

Brian will be greatly missed.