Geoff Rabone

Who was Geoff Rabone?

Geoffrey Osborne Rabone was a cricketer who captained New Zealand in five Test matches in 1953-54 and 1954-55.

Geoff Rabone played for Wellington from 1940-41 to 1950-51 and for Auckland from 1951-52 to 1959-60 as a dour right-handed batsman and as a right-arm off-break bowler who bowled the occasional leg-break too. He represented New Zealand in 12 Test matches between 1949 and the 1954-55 seasons and he was the South African Cricketer of the Year in 1954.

After Second World War service as a Lancaster bomber pilot, Rabone had played only six first-class matches before being selected for 1949 New Zealand touring side to England. In a team of strokemakers headed by Martin Donnelly and Bert Sutcliffe, Rabone's normal batting style gave solidity to New Zealand's middle order. He played in all four Tests of the summer, making 148 runs but with a highest score of just 39. His maiden century came on this tour as well: he made an unbeaten 120 against Nottinghamshire, opening the innings and batting for 340 minutes in a total of 329 for four declared. On the tour as a whole, he made 1,021 runs at an average of 32.93. His bowling proved expensive in English conditions, and he took 50 wickets, but at an average of 35.70. In the Tests, he took only four wickets.