Curly Page

Curly Page

Page in 1932
Full name	Milford Laurenson Page
Date of birth	8 May 1902
Place of birth	Lyttelton, New Zealand
Date of death	12 February 1987 (aged 84)
Place of death	Christchurch, New Zealand
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
School	Christchurch Boys' High School
Notable relative(s)	Frederick Page (brother)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Halfback
New Zealand No.	361
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1922–23, 28–29	Canterbury	19
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1928	New Zealand	0	(0)
Cricket information Batting style Right-hand bat Bowling style Right-arm slow International information National side New Zealand Test debut 10 January 1930 v England Last Test 14 August 1937 v England Domestic team information Years Team 1920/21–1936/37 Canterbury 1936/37 Canterbury and Otago 1942/43 South Island Army 1942/43 New Zealand Army Career statistics Competition Tests First-class Matches 14 132 Runs scored 492 5857 Batting average 24.60 29.88 100s/50s 1/2 9/32 Top score 104 206 Balls bowled 379 4622 Wickets 5 73 Bowling average 46.20 32.38 5 wickets in innings 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 2/21 4/10 Catches/stumpings 6/- 115/- Source: CricketArchive, 13 February 2016

Milford Laurenson "Curly" Page (8 May 1902 – 13 February 1987) was a New Zealand cricketer and rugby union player, who represented his country in both sports.

Early life and family

Born in Lyttelton on 8 May 1902,^[1] Page was the son of Olga Marguerite Smith and her husband, David Joseph Page, a produce and coal merchant.^[2] He was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School where he was a champion all-round sportsman.^[3]

Page had one sister and two brothers, including Frederick Page who was a professor of music, pianist and music critic.^[2]

Cricket

In a first-class career extending from 1920–21 to 1942–43, Page was New Zealand's second Test captain,^[4] 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.^[4] 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".^[3] His highest first-class score was 206, for Canterbury against Wellington in 1931–32, when he added 278 for the fourth wicket with Alby Roberts in the second innings after Canterbury had trailed by 277.^[5]

In the First Test at Lord's 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^[3] for the fourth wicket.^[6]

Rugby union

A halfback and first five-eighth, Page represented Canterbury 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, against the touring New South Wales team at Lancaster Park in 1928. He did not appear in any rugby Test matches.^[1]

Death

Page died in Christchurch on 13 February 1987.^[7]

References

1. Knight, Lindsay. "Curly Page". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
2. Thomson, John Mansfield. "Page, Frederick Joseph". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
3. Brittenden, R.T. (1961). New Zealand Cricketers. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. pp. 129–131.
4. Player profile: Curly Page from ESPNcricinfo
5. Wellington v Canterbury, 1931–32
6. England v New Zealand, Lord's, 1931
7. Player profile: Curly Page from CricketArchive