Photo Credit: Cricket New Zealand
New Zealand and Canterbury batsman Matt Poore, who died on Friday aged 90, was involved in some of this country’s landmark tours, including the Test team’s first visit to South Africa in 1953, and the maiden tour of Pakistan and India in 1955.
New Zealand Test representative No.63, Poor played in 14 Tests, scored 355 runs at 15.43 and took nine wickets with his off-spin.
He made his debut against Jack Cheetam’s South African tourists at Eden Park in 1952-53, scoring 45 (which would remain his career high) and shortly after was selected in the squad to tour the Republic the following summer.
It was on this tour that Poore played in the historic second Test at Ellis Park, a game which was notable for coinciding with the Tangiwai rail tragedy in New Zealand (which claimed the fiancé of his team-mate Bob Blair) as well as for a near-lethal spell of fast bowling from South African paceman, Neil Adcock.
Poore returned home to play two Tests against Len Hutton’s England visitors before embarking on what was to become an epic tour of the sub-continent in 1955, playing three Tests against Pakistan and four of the five Tests against India.
His domestic career ran from 1950-51 to 1961-62 and was mostly with Canterbury, although his highest score of 142 was made while playing for Central Districts.
Poore is survived by his son, Richard.
