Donald Derek Beard (14 January 1920 – 15 July 1982) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in four Test matches from 1952 to 1956.

[1] After teacher training in Auckland, he attended Victoria University in Wellington, from where he completed a Diploma in Education in 1946 and a Master of Arts in 1948.

[3] An accurate fast-medium bowler and useful lower-order batsman, Beard was selected to make his first-class debut for Wellington in the first round of Plunket Shield matches after the Second World War in December 1945, but he had not fully recovered from burns he had received while fighting a fire, and was replaced by Ray Buchan.

[8] Dick Brittenden said Beard specialised in the sweep shot, and "would have made more runs in his colourful career had he not expended so much of his patience on bowling".

[13] In 1961, Beard became principal of Te Aroha College in Waikato,[14] and played a few games for Northern Districts.