Curly Page

Who was Curly Page?

Milford Laurenson "Curly" Page was a cricketer who played for New Zealand and Canterbury.

He was a champion all-round sportsman at Christchurch Boys' High School. In a first-class career extending from 1920-21 to 1942-43, he was New Zealand's second Test captain, and captained the side in seven of the Tests in which he played. He toured England in 1927, 1931 and 1937, was captain of the New Zealand cricket team in England in 1937. He was the only player to appear in all 14 of New Zealand's Test matches before the Second World War.

He usually batted at number four or five, bowled useful slow-medium, and according to Dick Brittenden, his "slip fielding was magnificent, sometimes incredibly swift". His highest first-class score was 206, for Canterbury against Wellington in 1931-32, when he added 278 for the fourth wicket with Alby Roberts in the second innings after Canterbury had trailed by 277.

In the First Test at Lord's in 1931 he made 104 after New Zealand had trailed by 230 on the first innings. He added 118 for the third wicket with Stewie Dempster, then Page and Roger Blunt added 142 in 105 minutes for the fourth wicket.