Arthur Frank Rapley (born 2 September 1937) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1958 to 1960.

Frank Rapley
Personal information
Full name
Arthur Frank Rapley
Born (1937-09-02) 2 September 1937 (age 86)
Kaiapoi, New Zealand
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm off-spin
RelationsFraser Sheat (grandson)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1957-58 to 1959-60Canterbury
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 8
Runs scored 102
Batting average 25.50
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 40
Balls bowled 1425
Wickets 23
Bowling average 20.43
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/73
Catches/stumpings 4/–
Source: Cricinfo, 20 November 2018

Cricket career edit

An off-spin bowler and useful lower-order batsman, Rapley played his first match for Canterbury at the age of 20 in the last round of the Plunket Shield in 1957-58 and took four wickets (match figures of 35–15–60–4).[1] He was selected in the trial match for South Island a few days later and took two wickets cheaply.[2]

He took only eight wickets in five matches in 1958-59.[3] However, he made his highest first-class score of 40 in Canterbury's victory over Central Districts, when he and Graham Dowling added 85 for the last wicket, Dowling finishing on 103 not out.[4]

Rapley did not play in Canterbury's first four Plunket Shield matches in 1959-60 but, restored to the team for their final match, he was the leading bowler in Canterbury's victory over Northern Districts, taking 3 for 54 and 6 for 73 (match figures of 78.1–30–127–9).[5] This victory, achieved at the last possible moment of the match, gained Canterbury the Plunket Shield.[6] But it was Rapley's last first-class match.[7]

Rapley played for North Canterbury in the Hawke Cup from 1963 to 1983.[8] In all he played 65 matches for North Canterbury, taking 209 wickets.[9] In a two-day match for West Coast against Buller in 1960-61 he took 8 for 11 and 5 for 33.[10]

Later life edit

Rapley has spent most of his life in the North Canterbury region, where he was born. He was assistant town clerk for the Rangiora Borough Council in the 1970s,[11] and was one of the first trustees of the North Canterbury Sport & Recreation Trust after it was established in 1982.[12] He served as a justice of the peace in Rangiora until 2007.[13]

His grandson Fraser Sheat has played for Canterbury since the 2017-18 season.[14]

References edit

  1. ^ "Canterbury v Wellington 1957-58". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  2. ^ "North Island v South Island 1957-58". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  3. ^ "First-class bowling in each season by Frank Rapley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Canterbury v Central Districts 1958-59". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Canterbury v Northern Districts 1959-60". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  6. ^ A. G. Wiren, "Cricket in New Zealand, 1959-60", Wisden 1961, pp. 880–81.
  7. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Frank Rapley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Hawke Cup matches played by Frank Rapley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  9. ^ Kerr, Lindsay. "Nervous wait for Rapley". We Are Canterbury. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Buller v West Coast 1960-61". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  11. ^ Wright, Michael. "NZ's hottest ever day". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  12. ^ "About the North Canterbury Sport & Recreation Trust". North Canterbury Sport & Recreation Trust. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Justice of the Peace Resignations". gazette.govt.nz. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Fraser Sheat". Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 January 2024.

External links edit