Frederick Harper (24 November 1863 – 19 January 1937) was a New Zealand
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er. He played fourteen
first-class matches for
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
between 1886 and 1895.
Harper was a stylish batsman and brilliant fieldsman who captained Otago in most of his matches. He made 53, the highest score of the match, and the highest score of the short New Zealand first-class season, in 1887-88 when Otago beat
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
.
After visiting England for the purposes of finding a suitable coach for the Otago Cricket Association, Harper secured the services of
Joseph Lawton
Joseph Clement Lawton (9 May 1857 – 20 January 1934) was an English-born New Zealand cricketer and coach. He played first-class cricket for Otago from 1891 to 1894 and played in New Zealand's first representative match. He was the first coac ...
,
who became the first professional cricket coach in New Zealand. Harper paid half of Lawton's salary for the first year. Lawton's success led to his re-engagement for several seasons.
Harper was a partner in the firm of Messrs McKerrow, Lees and Co, soft goods merchants. He retired to live in
Timaru with his wife, who survived him.
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References
External links
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1863 births
1937 deaths
New Zealand cricketers
Otago cricketers
Cricketers from Bolton
British emigrants to New Zealand
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