Milford Laurenson "Curly" Page (8 May 1902 – 13 February 1987) was a New Zealand Test

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

er and

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player, who represented his country in both sports.

Early life and family

Born in Lyttelton on 8 May 1902, Page was the son of Olga Marguerite Smith and her husband, David Joseph Page, a produce and coal merchant. He was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School where he was a champion all-round sportsman. Page had one sister and two brothers, including Frederick Page who was a professor of music, pianist and music critic.

Cricket

In a first-class career extending from 1920–21 to 1942–43, Page was New Zealand's second Test captain, and captained the side in seven of the Tests in which he played. He toured England in 1927, 1931 and 1937, and was captain of the team on the latter tour. He was the only player to appear in all 14 of New Zealand's Test matches before World War II. He usually batted at number four or five, bowled useful slow-medium, and according to Dick Brittenden, his "slip fielding was magnificent, sometimes incredibly swift". His highest first-class score was 206, for

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against

Wellington Wellington 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 third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

in 1931–32, when he added 278 for the fourth wicket with Alby Roberts in the second innings after Canterbury had trailed by 277. In the First Test at

Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...

in 1931 he made 104 after New Zealand had trailed by 230 on the first innings. He added 118 for the third wicket with Stewie Dempster, then Page and Roger Blunt added 142 in 105 minutes for the fourth wicket.

Rugby union

A halfback and first five-eighth, Page represented at a provincial level in two stints: in 1922 and 1923, and then in 1928 and 1929. He played just one match for the New Zealand national side, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

, against the touring

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team at Lancaster Park in 1928. He did not appear in any rugby Test matches.

Death

Page died in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

on 13 February 1987.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Page, Curly 1902 births 1987 deaths Cricketers from Christchurch People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players Canterbury rugby union players Rugby union scrum-halves Rugby union fly-halves Canterbury cricketers New Zealand cricketers New Zealand Test cricket captains New Zealand Test cricketers Pre-1930 New Zealand representative cricketers International Cavaliers cricketers Rugby union players from Christchurch New Zealand Army cricketers South Island Army cricketers