Dick Motz
Encyclopedia
Richard Charles Motz was a New Zealand
cricket
er. A right-arm fast bowler and hard-hitting lower order batsman, Motz played 32 Test matches
for the New Zealand cricket team
between 1961 and 1969.
Motz was born in Christchurch
. He was educated at North New Brighton primary school and Linwood High School, playing cricket at both. He also played rugby, tennis, badminton and golf. He played as full-back for the New Brighton
rugby team for two years after leaving school.
He played domestic cricket for Canterbury, making his debut in the Plunket Shield in 1957, while still a schoolboy, taking 4 for 40 at his first outing. He made his reputation as a hostile fast bowler, and a big-hitting lower order batsman. He was one of five New Zealand players and seven South Africans
to make their Test debut in the 1st Test at Durban
in December 1961. He took 81 wickets on the tour, at a bowling average of 19, including 19 wickets in the five Tests.
He took five wickets in an innings five times in Tests, once in England and twice at home against each of India and West Indies. He was also a handy lower-order batsman, scoring three Test half-centuries, all at home against England. His best first-class performances were New Zealand domestic cricket. He took 8 wickets for 61 runs against Wellington in 1966-7, and scored 103 not out against Otago in 1967-8, making his only first-class century inside an hour. On tour to Australia in 1967-8, he scored 94 against South Australia, including 76 runs from boundaries (6 sixes and 10 fours).
He was New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year in 1961, South African Cricket Annual Cricketer of the Year in 1962, and a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966.
In 1968, he was the first bowler to be banned from bowling in a Test due to running on the wicket
. In his last Test, the third Test against England at The Oval
in August 1969, Motz became the first New Zealand bowler to take 100 Test
wicket
s when he trapped Phil Sharpe leg before wicket
(his only wicket of the match).
Motz's playing career ended at the age if 29, after he was found to have a displaced vertebra – indeed, he had been playing with a bad back for over a year. After his retirement from cricket, he became a taxi driver. He also ran a sports business, and then ran a pub in Timaru
. In later years, he put on considerable weight, ending over 30 stone.
He was inducted to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
in 1997.
He was married twice. His first marriage, to cricketer Loretta Todd, ended in divorce in 1987. They had a son and two daughters. His son, Wayne, was murdered in 1989. He re-married, to Josephine Cole.
He died in Christchurch
. He was found dead at his home by his former captain, Graham Dowling
. He was survived by his two daughters from his first marriage.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. A right-arm fast bowler and hard-hitting lower order batsman, Motz played 32 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for the New Zealand cricket team
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
between 1961 and 1969.
Motz was born in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. He was educated at North New Brighton primary school and Linwood High School, playing cricket at both. He also played rugby, tennis, badminton and golf. He played as full-back for the New Brighton
New Brighton, New Zealand
New Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, about to the east of the city centre.-Naming:The naming of New Brighton was apparently done on a 'spur of moment' decision by William Fee, an early settler of the area...
rugby team for two years after leaving school.
He played domestic cricket for Canterbury, making his debut in the Plunket Shield in 1957, while still a schoolboy, taking 4 for 40 at his first outing. He made his reputation as a hostile fast bowler, and a big-hitting lower order batsman. He was one of five New Zealand players and seven South Africans
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
to make their Test debut in the 1st Test at Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
in December 1961. He took 81 wickets on the tour, at a bowling average of 19, including 19 wickets in the five Tests.
He took five wickets in an innings five times in Tests, once in England and twice at home against each of India and West Indies. He was also a handy lower-order batsman, scoring three Test half-centuries, all at home against England. His best first-class performances were New Zealand domestic cricket. He took 8 wickets for 61 runs against Wellington in 1966-7, and scored 103 not out against Otago in 1967-8, making his only first-class century inside an hour. On tour to Australia in 1967-8, he scored 94 against South Australia, including 76 runs from boundaries (6 sixes and 10 fours).
He was New Zealand Cricket Almanack Player of the Year in 1961, South African Cricket Annual Cricketer of the Year in 1962, and a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966.
In 1968, he was the first bowler to be banned from bowling in a Test due to running on the wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
. In his last Test, the third Test against England at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in August 1969, Motz became the first New Zealand bowler to take 100 Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s when he trapped Phil Sharpe leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
(his only wicket of the match).
Motz's playing career ended at the age if 29, after he was found to have a displaced vertebra – indeed, he had been playing with a bad back for over a year. After his retirement from cricket, he became a taxi driver. He also ran a sports business, and then ran a pub in Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
. In later years, he put on considerable weight, ending over 30 stone.
He was inducted to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception representing a wide...
in 1997.
He was married twice. His first marriage, to cricketer Loretta Todd, ended in divorce in 1987. They had a son and two daughters. His son, Wayne, was murdered in 1989. He re-married, to Josephine Cole.
He died in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. He was found dead at his home by his former captain, Graham Dowling
Graham Dowling
Graham Thorne Dowling is a former New Zealand cricketer who played 39 Test matches and captained New Zealand in 19 of them. Playing as a specialist right-handed batsman, usually an opener, he achieved moderate success, averaging 31 with the bat. His finest moment came when he made a nine-hour 239...
. He was survived by his two daughters from his first marriage.