Cameron Merchant
Playing Role: LH Top Order Bat / RA Off-Spin
Coaching Qualifications: Cricket Australia Level 1 (UKCC Level 2 Equivalent)
Major Teams: Wellington, Northern Districts, Northern Districts 2nd XI, Waikato Valley, New South Wales 2nd XI, Queensland Under-17s, Sydney North
Cameron Merchant (26) is an exciting prospect making big strides on the domestic scene in New Zealand. After transferring from Northern Districts, he played the 2009/10 season for the Wellington Firebirds finishing eighth in the Plunkett Shield (first-class) run charts with 764 runs at 40.21. He hit 99 on his State debut for Wellington, then powered to his maiden first-class hundred (108) in the following match against Auckland. He had previously spent two seasons with the Northern Knights having relocated from Australia in pursuit of State cricket in 2007/08. He scored 223 runs at 37.16 in his maiden season with the Knights, but only 171 at 21.37 the following season before transferring to Wellington. Born in Sydney of an Australian father, Russell, a former prominent pace bowler, and New Zealand mother, Margarete, Merchant discussed a future in New Zealand with former Test coach John Bracewell and New Zealand's batting coach - former NSW, West Australian and Manly batsman Mark O'Neill. Merchant had previously been a stand-out batsman playing for Manly in the Sydney Grade Competition and also represented the Queensland Under-17s and New South Wales 2nd XI. He looks set to progress to higher honours and has been touted as a future Blackcap. Merchant is now seeking an opportunity to play league cricket in England in 2010 having impressed in two previous stints. He played a season in the Central Yorkshire League in 2002 scoring 800 league runs and taking 27 wickets with his useful off-spin, then in 2006 for Havant in the Southern Electric ECB Premier League scoring 781 runs at 55.79 including a best of 168*.