Lankford Smith

Lankford Smith
Personal information
Full name Lankford Daniel Smith
Date of birth (1914-12-21)21 December 1914
Place of birth Ngaio, New Zealand
Date of death 28 November 1978(1978-11-28) (aged 63)
Place of death Dunedin, New Zealand
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Dunedin High School Old Boys
National team
1948 New Zealand 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Lankford Daniel Smith (21 December 1914 – 28 November 1978) was a football (soccer) player who represented New Zealand at international level.[1] He was also an accomplished cricketer, playing first-class cricket for Otago from 1935 to 1957.[2]

Smith played two official A-international matches for the New Zealand national football team in 1948,[1] both against visiting trans-Tasman neighbours Australia, the first a 0-7 loss on 28 August, followed by a 0-4 loss on 4 September.[3]

A middle-order batsman and left-arm spinner, Smith captained Otago in 1945-46 and from 1947-48 to 1955-56, leading the province to victory in the Plunket Shield in 1947-48, 1950-51 and 1952-53. He scored 2281 runs at 24.52, and took 85 wickets at 38.23. He scored his only century in the victory over Central Districts in Dunedin that gave Otago the 1952-53 shield.[4] Dick Brittenden said that apart from his batting, bowling and "inspiring example in the field", "perhaps his greatest asset as a captain was his firm belief in the ability of his team. He was so deeply convinced it was the better side that it very often was."[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "A-International Appearances - Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  2. ↑ "Lankford Smith profile at Cricket Archive". Cricket Archive.
  3. ↑ "A-International Lineups". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  4. ↑ Otago v Central Districts 1952-53
  5. ↑ R.T. Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, p. 157.
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