Dennis Smith

Who was Dennis Smith?

Horace Dennis Smith was a New Zealand cricketer who played in one Test in 1933.

A fast bowler, he took his only Test wicket with his first delivery, the tenth Test bowler to achieve the feat. The wicket came against England in the First Test in 1932–33 when he bowled Eddie Paynter, but he sent down another 119 deliveries without success.

Smith played only 11 games of first-class cricket. He made his debut for Otago in 1931-32 at the age of 18. In the three matches in the Plunket Shield in 1932-33 he scored 147 runs at 36.75, with a top score of 52, and took seven wickets at 14.00, helping Otago to win the Plunket Shield. A few weeks later Smith opened the New Zealand attack in the First Test with his Otago colleague Ted Badcock. He was replaced by another Otago colleague, Jack Dunning, for the Second Test, when he served as twelfth man.

He transferred to Canterbury for the 1933-34 season but was less effective, and he played his last first-class match not long after he turned 21.