Graham Vivian

Graham Ellery Vivian (born 28 February 1946) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in five Test matches and one One Day International (ODI) from 1965 to 1972. He made his Test match debut without previously playing in a first-class match. His father, Giff Vivian, played seven Tests for New Zealand in the 1930s. Both father and son were selected in New Zealand touring teams, in 1930 and 1965 respectively, at the age of 18.

Vivian became a successful businessman, establishing the synthetic-turf company Tiger Turf in 1981. On the England leg of the tour he played eight first-class matches but was unsuccessful with bat or ball, and did not play a Test.

He toured the West Indies in 1971–72 and played four Tests but without success. However, his fielding was outstanding: Henry Blofeld described the 1971-72 New Zealanders' fielding as "the most impressive I have ever seen from any side anywhere", and he singled out Vivian as "the best of all". He continued to play domestic cricket in New Zealand until 1978–79, but never played another Test.

Vivian's best first-class bowling figures were 5 for 59 for Auckland against Central Districts at Auckland in 1967–68. On a brief non-Test tour of Australia in 1969-70 he hit his highest first-class score (and first century) of 137 not out against Victoria in Melbourne, out of a New Zealand total of 220, having gone to the crease at 22 for 4.

After cricket Vivian worked for Coca-Cola from 1970 to 1981, becoming general manager for New Zealand. In 1981 he established a company, Tiger Turf, manufacturing synthetic turf for sports grounds. By 2007 its New Zealand factory was weaving 950,000 square metres of various kinds of turf a year. He sold the company in 2010.

He has been president of the Auckland Cricket Association, and is a life member of the Eden Park Trust and a life trustee of the Halberg Trust. As of 2024 he is a director of the New Zealand company Wood Engineering Technology.