Henry Butler Cave (10 October 1922 – 15 September 1989) was a New Zealand cricketer who captained New Zealand in nine of his 19 Test matches. His Test career extended from 1949 to 1958, and he played first-class cricket from 1945 to 1959. In March 1956 he played a major part in New Zealand's first victory in Test cricket when he took eight wickets in the final match of the series against West Indies. His uncle Ken Cave umpired all four matches in New Zealand's first Test series in 1929–30. Harry went to school at Westmere before attending Wanganui Collegiate School. He took up farming after leaving school. A torn elbow muscle in 1947 made it difficult for him to bowl his stock out-swinger, and from then on he relied on seamers, cutters and in-swingers.

1950s

Cave was one of the leading players in Central Districts' inaugural season in the Plunket Shield in 1950–51, when they finished second. In 1952–53 he and Ian Leggat added 239 for the ninth wicket for Central Districts against Otago in Dunedin, setting a New Zealand ninth-wicket record that still stands. A few days later, Cave captured 13 wickets in one day, taking 7 for 31 and 6 for 33 in Central Districts' innings victory over Auckland in Palmerston North.

After a break of five years, Cave returned to the Test team for the two-match series against England in 1954–55. He was then appointed to captain the New Zealand team on an eight-Test tour of Pakistan and India from October 1955 to January 1956. The tour was demanding for the whole team. Extreme heat, sub-standard accommodation and facilities, unfamiliar pitches, constant stomach upsets and other illness, as well as dubious umpiring in India, made it difficult for the New Zealanders to play at their best.

Cave was New Zealand's leading bowler when the Australians toured in 1956–57, taking 17 wickets in the three unofficial Tests while the other New Zealand bowlers took 17 wickets between them. Cave toured England in 1958, this time as John Reid's vice-captain, but the tour was not a success for him or the team. He took 50 wickets at an average of 22.02 in the first-class matches, but played in only two of the five Tests, taking two wickets.

Cave played one more season of Plunket Shield cricket in 1958–59 before retiring.

References

  • Cave, Henry Butler at DNZB