Donald Howden Murdoch (27 March 1923 – 28 February 2014) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played three first-class matches for Otago in the 1943–44 and 1944–45 seasons.[1][2]
Murdoch was born at Lawrence in Otago in 1923 and was educated at Kings High School in Dunedin.[3] He graduated from the University of Otago in 1944 with a science degree.[4] He made his representative debut for Otago in a Christmas Day fixture against Canterbury in 1943, opening the batting and making scores of 28 and 22 in a match Otago lost by an innings. His other two top-level appearances came the following season in matches against Canterbury and Wellington. He scored a total of 78 runs, with the 28 he scored on debut his highest first-class score.[2]
As well as cricket, Murdoch played rugby as a first five-eighth. He was described as "outstanding" as a school's player and considered as promising as his older brother Ian.[5][6] He played representative rugby for Otago after World War II―a 1947 newspaper report describing his display against Wairarapa as "brilliant", including a "spectacular break" which led to a try.[7]
Murdoch worked as an industrial chemist and was the general manager of the Southland Co-operative Phosphate Company in the 1980s.[8][9] He died at Dunedin in 2014 aged 90.[1] His son, Geoff Murdoch, also played for Otago, making five first-class appearances for the side in the 1974–75 season.[10]
