{"id":566980,"date":"2026-08-12T18:46:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/566980\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T18:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T18:46:10","slug":"society-insider-ex-black-cap-mark-greatbatch-linked-to-years-most-expensive-house-sale-40m-langs-beach-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/566980\/","title":{"rendered":"Society Insider: Ex-Black Cap Mark Greatbatch linked to year\u2019s most expensive house sale, $40m Langs Beach property"},"content":{"rendered":"

Greatbatch, 62, the Black Cap batting star of the 1980s and \u201990s and famous as the pioneer of \u201cpinch hitting\u201d \u2013 scoring quick runs aggressively and accepting the higher risk of being dismissed \u2013 appeared last month on the title of the Anderson\u2019s Cove property with a half share. <\/p>\n

Having the New Zealand Cricket president as the possible owner sent speculation into overdrive, with lines such as \u201cGreatbatch owns the greatest bach\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf Mark owns that house, I hope I am invited up to stay,\u201d a Greatbatch family acquaintance told Society Insider. <\/p>\n

When approached for comment, Greatbatch told Society Insider he doesn\u2019t own Anderson\u2019s Cove, and wouldn\u2019t be drawn on speculation about who the new owner might be. <\/p>\n

\u201cI am a trustee, as is publicly known, and the trust owns the property,\u201d Greatbatch says. \u201cThat\u2019s really where we would like to leave things.\u201d <\/p>\n

Also listed on the Anderson\u2019s Cove property title is Grove Management Services Ltd \u2013 a company associated with Christchurch lawyers Hugh Lindo and Andrew Kirk. <\/p>\n

\"Anderson\u2019sAnderson\u2019s Cove has a new mystery owner. <\/p>\n

In April, the Nathans\u2019 daughter Sarah embarked on a PR campaign alongside Bayleys, in association with Knight Frank, with Bayleys\u2019 Duncan Ross and Sarah Dyer marketing the estate. <\/p>\n

Marketed as a home that has hosted some of New Zealand\u2019s most influential families, it sold within weeks. <\/p>\n

Bayleys Waterfront is still heavily promoting the sale as a showcase listing for the brand. <\/p>\n

Greatbatch, Lindo and Kirk also have their names on the title of another luxury bach north of Auckland, a $12m pad in Matakana. Until two months ago, Greatbatch owned the home jointly with his former Auckland Grammar schoolmate, mega-wealthy US-based Kiwi businessman Peter Gibson, executive chairman of Stellar Energy. <\/p>\n

\"NewNew Zealand Cricket president Mark Greatbatch. Photo \/ Mark Greatbatch<\/p>\n

Luxury Airbnb sources tell Society Insider that the Matakana home remains available for rentals but the Anderson\u2019s Cove property \u2013 which formerly attracted high-net-worth international guests for the Nathans, for up to $6000 a night depending on which dwelling was booked \u2013 is not expected to return to the rental market. <\/p>\n

Queenstown-based Greatbatch returned to the public arena last November when he became president of New Zealand Cricket. <\/p>\n

After retiring from playing, Greatbatch worked in coaching for Central Districts before a stint in the UK in the mid-2000s, serving as an academy coach and later director of cricket at Warwickshire County Cricket Club. On his return, he was appointed an adviser to New Zealand\u2019s national selection panel and became coach of the Black Caps in 2010. <\/p>\n

\"MarkMark Greatbatch at a Cricket World Trophy event last decade. \"MarkMark Greatbatch at a Cricket World Trophy event. Photo \/ Glenn Taylor<\/p>\n

Greatbatch finished his coaching career at St Kentigern in Auckland and retired to Queenstown five years ago to live with his Queenstown-based partner, Deanie Johnstone. Greatbatch\u2019s daughter Alice also lives in Queenstown, while son Charlie plays for a club side in England. <\/p>\n

Greatbatch\u2019s former wife, Marina Greatbatch, sells high-end homes for Sotheby\u2019s in Auckland. <\/p>\n

Party People of the week<\/p>\n

The Real Life Restaurant<\/p>\n

Media, influencers and foodies got the first taste of The Real Life Restaurant by Angel Bay last week, as an ordinary Auckland bungalow was transformed into a nostalgic burger diner. <\/p>\n

The suburban home was decked out top to toe in playful burger-themed decor: retro signage, mismatched china, fluffy slippers at the door and kitsch diner touches. <\/p>\n

The menu was crafted by menu designer and home-cooking expert Jana MacPherson, using the contents of the average Kiwi fridge. Guests sampled the Second Chance Burger, topped with creamy mac and cheese; the Global Sauce Shelf Burger, featuring miso slaw; and the Breakfast for Dinner Burger, sandwiched between waffles and finished with maple syrup. <\/p>\n

Guests included Anzco Foods marketing manager Becky Turnbull, Flava\u2019s Azura Lane, The Breeze host Mike Puru, TVNZ journalist Aziz Al Sa\u2019afin and content creators Hannah Koumakis, Win Wolf and model Daisy Clementine Hulme. <\/p>\n

\"BeckyBecky Turnbull and Jana MacPherson. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"CaitlanCaitlan Mitchell, Rachel Duignan, Megan Seger, Mike Puru and Azura Lane. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"WilhelminaWilhelmina O’Keeffe and Aziz Al Sa’afin. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"KathrynKathryn McMillan and Daisy Clementine Hulme. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"MicahMicah Heath and Win Wolf. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"MarcMarc Thompson and Samantha Richards. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"TrentTrent Hulme, Zinnia Dogra and Caitlan Mitchell. Photo \/ Simeon Patience \"Hannah,Hannah, Terry and Delwyn Koumakis. Photo \/ Simeon Patience <\/p>\n

Ricardo Simich<\/a> has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Greatbatch, 62, the Black Cap batting star of the 1980s and \u201990s and famous as the pioneer of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566981,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[84619,103086,7972,1558,7022,4464,42574,131155,1320,41139,16558,7123,152208,14739,2740,279107,10053,2936,279108,7055,32573,3025,10136,111,139,69,2572,814,1133,2935,213,2563,61,1530,80],"class_list":["post-566980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-40m","tag-andersons","tag-beach","tag-been","tag-black","tag-cap","tag-caps","tag-certificate","tag-coach","tag-cove","tag-cricket","tag-current","tag-exblack","tag-expensive","tag-former","tag-greatbatch","tag-house","tag-insider","tag-langs","tag-linked","tag-mark","tag-most","tag-named","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-president","tag-property","tag-sale","tag-society","tag-sports","tag-title","tag-to","tag-years","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}