Albert William Roberts (20 August 1909 – 13 May 1978) was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Test

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er who played in five

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from 1930 to 1937.

Career as a batsman

Roberts made his first-class debut in 1927–28 at the age of 18 as a middle-order batsman for

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. In 1929–30 he made 38 (top score) and 23 against the touring MCC, then after making 54, 70, 76 and 24 not out in his next two matches he was selected for

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first Test. However, he made only 3 and 5 and was one of several players left out of the side for the next Test. He scored his first century in 1930–31 against

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, when his 116 helped turn a 127-run first-innings deficit into a 139-run victory. In the 1931–32

Plunket Shield New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield. History The Plunket Shield competition was instigated in Octob ...

season he scored 378 runs at 75.60, including 181 in 260 minutes against Wellington, when he added 278 in 220 minutes for the fourth wicket with

Curly Page Milford Laurenson "Curly" Page (8 May 1902 – 13 February 1987) was a New Zealand Test cricketer and rugby union player, who represented his country in both sports. Early life and family Born in Lyttelton on 8 May 1902, Page was the son of O ...

. The partnership set a new record for any wicket in the Plunket Shield. Roberts played in both Tests against

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at the end of the season, making 54 in the First Test. He also played

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for

Career as an all-rounder

His form fell away in 1932–33 and he did not play in the Tests against England. He spent the 1933 English season playing as a professional for

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in the Lancashire League, scoring 615 runs at 26.73 and taking 59 wickets with his medium-pace bowling at 14.72. Thereafter he played as an all-rounder. In 1935–36 he played in three of the four (non-Test) matches for New Zealand against the touring MCC side, batting at seven or eight and opening the bowling. In the match in

he made the top score of 75 not out, then took 3 for 33 and 3 for 39 as MCC narrowly avoided defeat. He toured England in 1937, making 510 runs at 24.28 and taking 62 wickets at 26.20. In the Tests he led the batting averages with 142 runs at 47.33, with a top score of 66 not out in the First Test, and took seven wickets at 29.85. He missed the second of the three Tests with a shoulder injury. ''

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'' described him as "an extremely useful member of the side, especially as he was a brilliant

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. Moreover he had a way of getting runs when they were wanted". Playing for Riccarton in senior Christchurch cricket in March 1938 he scored 214 not out in a little over two hours, with 10 sixes and 24 fours. He continued to play for Canterbury, then after

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he played for

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, continuing until the age of 41. He scored his third and last first-class century against Canterbury in 1946–47, when he saved the match for Otago with 44 and 110 not out. At the time of his retirement he held the record for the number of Plunket Shield matches played: 44.

Assessment

Dick Brittenden Richard Trevor Brittenden (22 August 1919 – 10 June 2002) was from the 1950s to the 1980s New Zealand's most prominent cricket writer. Early life, family and career Brittenden was born at Rakaia on 22 August 1919, and was educated at Christc ...

called him a "diverting mass of contradictions": "He took his magnificent athletic slip catches, he could hit with primitive force, and when he bowled, his out-swinger whipped away like a live thing. Yet he always looked tired, half asleep, absolutely casual and relaxed."

Personal life

On 11 January 1939 Roberts married Jean McLeod at St Paul's Church, Christchurch.

References

External links