Former Chief Executive David Gilbert and former NSW player Marshall Rosen were last night bestowed the honour of Life Membership at the Annual General Meeting of Cricket NSW.
David Gilbert made a substantial contribution to NSW Cricket as both a player and an administrator.
A product of the Sydney and Western Suburbs Cricket Clubs, Gilbert played 43 First Class matches for NSW between 1983 and 1988, taking 113 wickets at 33.27 with best figures of 5-56.
He won selection for Australia in 1985, becoming Test cap No. 330 and One Day International cap No. 88. David played 9 Test Matches in all, taking 16 wickets, and 14 One Day Internationals, taking 18 wickets.
David also represented Gloucestershire and Tasmania, taking 354 First Class wickets, with best figures of 8-55.
David retired from First Class cricket in 1992. In 1995 he began his administrative career, taking over as Surrey’s Cricket Manager, moving to Sussex in 1997 as General Manager, and subsequently becoming Chief Executive.
David was then appointed the Chief Executive of Cricket NSW in 2001, a position he held for 11 years.
As Chief Executive, Gilbert oversaw a period of great growth with revenue tripling and participation growing by 130%. The Blues also won 3 Sheffield Shield and 3 One Day Domestic titles during this period, while the Breakers won no fewer than 10 titles.
This reflected the importance David and Cricket NSW placed on the women’s game, as did the integration of Women’s Cricket NSW into Cricket NSW in 2004 under David’s leadership.
David was also responsible for strengthening cricket’s presence in Western Sydney. He played a key role in the development of training, playing and administrative facilities at Blacktown International Sportspark, and in taking International cricket to ANZ Stadium for the first time.
Under David’s leadership, a CNSW facilities upgrade fund was established, with significant investments made to a number of facilities that have left NSW cricket with a wealth of First Class-standard grounds and a legacy for future generations.
David was recently elected President of the Western Suburbs Cricket Club and is the long-time patron of the NSW Schools Cricket Association. David was also elected to the SCG Trust by its members earlier this year, reflecting his profile in the game.
Marshall Rosen has contributed to NSW Cricket as a player and administrator for a period that now spans 50 years.
Marshall, played for the Gordon District Cricket Club between 1963 and 1978 and subsequently has served as a selector and key administrator at the club. Marshall has also held various other positions at the club, including Senior Vice President, Chairman of the Cricket Committee and Chairman of Selectors.
At Association level, Marshall has served as delegate for the Gordon District Cricket Club to both the SCA and NSWCA since 1999 and is about to enter his ninth year as a Director of the Cricket NSW Board.
In that capacity, Marshall has served on and chaired a number of board sub-committees, including Facilities, Venue Hire Negotiation and Doug Walters Club sub-committees. He is the current Chairman of the Cricket sub-committee.
Marshall also represented New South Wales as a player between 1971 and 1976. He was an opening batsman, playing 21 First Class matches and scoring 1220 runs at an average of 30.50, in addition to five One Day matches. Marshall was also a State Selector for a decade from 2002.
Cricket NSW Chairman John Warn felt that both Life Memberships were worthy recognition of two outstanding individuals: “Both David and Marshall have made a major contribution to the history of Cricket NSW. During his 11 year tenure as CEO, David oversaw a period of tremendous growth and success for the organisation and we should all be grateful for his commitment and passion and for the contribution that he made both on and off the field. Marshall has given a major part of his life to Cricket NSW. From his days as a NSW player, his great work with the Gordon Cricket Club through to his ongoing role as a Cricket NSW Board Director, he should be commended for the way he has given his time over a great number of years to help benefit cricket through a number of vital roles.”
