CRICKET - Death of great cricketer loss for all Northlanders

EVERYBODY knew Brian Dunning was crook. But there is still a shockwave washing through the Northland sports community today after he died on Saturday.
Brian Dunning collapsed at work on Friday afternoon with a suspected stroke. He never recovered and died at Whangarei Hospital, aged 66.
Now the entire Northland sports fraternity is mourning the loss of one of their finest, an international cricketer with a truck load of batting records and remarkable sporting feats to his credit.
But it was due to his personality, a figure that reigned over the sport like none other, that the Northland sports community is so stunned by Dunning's death.
Murray Child, who played alongside and under the coaching of Dunning for Northland and Northern Districts echoed the thoughts of many: "The man we thought was indestructible, old Dunno, is dead," Child said.
Dunning still holds the record as the most capped Northland cricketer of all time and the most prodigious batsman the province has ever seen. He played 159 games for the province and scored a total of 7164 runs, more than any other Northland cricketer.
He hit 18 centuries for Northland (at one stage twice as many as any other cricketer had for the province) and, with 93 in total, has caught more opponents out than any other Northland cricketer.
In 1972 Dunning became the first Northlander to win national honours and, as a batsman for ND, scored more than 3898 runs at a 29-run average. His career with ND lasted 17 years as a player, then almost another decade as a selector and coach.
But today everyone who knew Dunning was rallying around his family. His wife Trudi, his four daughters and four grandchildren are struggling to come to terms with the death of a devoted father and smitten grandfather.
While Northland cricket would miss his wise counsel on all aspects of the game, from selection, to preparation of wickets and the politics of the game, it was his family that would be hit the hardest, Child said.
"When it came to cricket, in his own quiet way, Dunno would listen to what was being said and then add his point of view. When Dunno talked, everyone else listened," Child said.
"But it wasn't just cricket, in all walks of life he did so much. If it was sport, Dunno was good at it. In his business Dunno was the man we all went to see to chew the fat about any sport," he said.
But it is his cricketing feats that have etched Brian Dunning into the history books.
His whirlwind batting blitzes were a thing of legend. One of them, a 123-run innings for Northland against Auckland at Cobham Oval in Whangarei in 1970, is still spoken of with some pride down at Northland cricket headquarters.
In 1959, the year he made his Northland cricket debut, Dunning was 19 years old. Not until 30 years later, at the age of 49 and hovering dangerously close to his 50th birthday, was he forced to retire with arthritis problems.
A huge turnout of Northland sportspeople young and old is expected at his funeral to be held at the Anglican Christ Church at the Regent in Whangarei at 11.30am on Thursday. The wake will fittingly be held at Northland cricket headquarters, Spire Pavilion at Cobham Oval in Whangarei on Thursday afternoon.