Keith Ollivier

Keith Morton Ollivier (2 August 1880 – 12 September 1951) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1901 to 1912 and played twice for New Zealand in the days before New Zealand played Test cricket.

Keith Ollivier

Personal information
Full name	Keith Morton Ollivier
Born	(1880-08-02)2 August 1880 Christchurch, New Zealand
Died	12 September 1951(1951-09-12) (aged 71) Christchurch
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg-spin
Relations	Arthur Ollivier (father)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1900-01 to 1911-12	Canterbury
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 24 Runs scored 928 Batting average 22.09 100s/50s 0/3 Top score 83 Balls bowled 1077 Wickets 35 Bowling average 19.94 5 wickets in innings 3 10 wickets in match 1 Best bowling 6/43 Catches/stumpings 21/–
Source: CricketArchive, 22 May 2018

Personal life

Ollivier's middle name was the maiden name of his grandmother, Elizabeth Morton. His grandfather was John Ollivier, a politician and local Christchurch identity. His father was Arthur Ollivier, a noted Christchurch businessman, cricketer and mountaineer.

Keith Ollivier worked for the Bank of New Zealand. In Wellington, in 1912, he married Hilda von Dadelszen, daughter of the New Zealand public administrator Edward John von Dadelszen.[1] They had one son. She died in 1937;[2] Keith died in 1951.

Cricket career

Ollivier was the leading New Zealand batsman in the 1903-04 first-class season, with 306 runs in four matches at an average of 51.00.[3] His 83 batting at number five in Canterbury’s 244-run victory over Wellington was the equal-highest first-class score for the season.[4] He was chosen in the inaugural match between North Island and South Island at the end of the season and, opening the batting for South Island, impressed observers by scoring 48 and 22 in South Island’s two-wicket victory.[5]

When Australia toured New Zealand in 1904-05, Ollivier was the only New Zealander to perform well in the two-match series between the two sides. In the first match, he took 5 for 113 with his leg-breaks in Australia’s only innings, and top-scored in each innings for New Zealand with 39 and 32 not out to help New Zealand hold on for a draw. He was less effective in the second match, which Australia won by an innings and 358 runs, although his 16 was equal-top score in the first innings.[6]

In later seasons he was more effective as a bowler. In Canterbury’s victory over Wellington in 1906-07, playing in place of the unavailable Sydney Callaway, he opened the bowling with Joseph Bennett and took 6 for 43 and 5 for 66 with his leg-spin, varying his pace cleverly.[7][8] Earlier in the season he had made 78, the top score in the match, and taken three wickets, when Canterbury defeated the touring MCC team.[9] It was these two victories that led to Canterbury being awarded the inaugural Plunket Shield at the end of the season.

References

1. "Wedding at the Pro-Cathedral". Dominion. 19 January 1912. p. 9. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
2. "Mrs. Keith Ollivier". Evening Post. 15 October 1937. p. 14. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
3. "First-class Batting and Fielding in New Zealand for 1903/04". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
4. "Wellington v Canterbury 1903-04". CricketArchive. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
5. Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, p. 44.
6. Neely & Payne, pp. 45–47.
7. "Interprovincial Match". Press. 21 January 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
8. "Canterbury v Wellington 1906-07". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
9. "Canterbury v MCC 1906-07". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 May 2018.

External links

• Keith Ollivier at ESPNcricinfo
• Keith Ollivier at CricketArchive (subscription required)