Northern Districts Cricket Association today announced that Peter Roach has been appointed to a role of Head of Cricket Operations at Cricket Australia and will depart his current position as CEO in mid to late July. 

ND Cricket Chairman Martin Bradley said he was very proud of the Association's achievements under Roach's watch. 

"The appointment of Peter to a senior role at Cricket Australia is a great accolade for him and a great accolade for ND Cricket.  We aim to be an Association that grows its people, whether players or administrators, and this is another occasion when someone has joined us, done a terrific job, and being sought after as a result. 

"Peter came to us four and half years ago at a very delicate stage in our history.  We were struggling financially and some of our key stakeholder relationships were strained.  In a very short space of time he brought together the ND family once again and we have gone from strength to strength since. 

"He will leave ND Cricket in a strong position financially but also culturally, and most importantly we see cricket thriving on the fields of play around our region, from the amateur to the professional. 

"We are confident that we will find a quality replacement to continue the upwards trajectory of the Association.  We thank Peter for his efforts, and wish he, his wife Emily and his three children all the best as they return to Melbourne."

Roach added that "ND has provided us with the most wonderful opportunity.  It is an incredible organisation with so many good people involved.  I will always be proud to say that I worked here and contributed what I could to its success. 

"Melbourne is of course where I and my family came from, and we look forward to returning home to spend time with our parents and old friends. 

"ND, Hamilton and NZ have provided my family and I with unbelievable experiences, found us many life-long friends, and we will miss everything, and everybody we have dealt with, dearly. 

Roach has been the CEO of ND Cricket since early 2013.  His achievements include:

• Significant increases in junior and senior teams playing in formalised competitions.
  

• Secured funding to allow for the development of the Seddon Park change-rooms and TV towers
  

• Saw the Knights win the Twenty20 competition for the first time
  

• Drove the Association's commitment to women's cricket, highlighted by the introduction of the Skycity Hamilton Northern Premier League
  

• Oversaw four consecutive years of profits, positioning ND Cricket with sound capital reserves. 
  

• Ensured growth in commercial and charitable funding
  

• Introduced charity partner True Colours to ND Cricket
  

The role will be advertised over the coming weeks.