Herb Lambert

Herb Lambert
Lambert in 1932
Personal information
Full name
Herbert Norman Lambert
Born(1900-01-29)29 January 1900
Wellington, New Zealand
Died19 July 1984(1984-07-19) (aged 84)
New Plymouth, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off-spin
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1917/18–1932/33Wellington
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 39
Runs scored 1,455
Batting average 22.04
100s/50s 1/6
Top score 107
Balls bowled 3,311
Wickets 70
Bowling average 29.04
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/102
Catches/stumpings 33/–
Source: CricketArchive, 2 February 2017

Herbert Norman Lambert (29 January 1900 – 19 July 1984) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Wellington from 1917 to 1933. He played twice for New Zealand in the days before New Zealand played Test cricket.

Cricket career

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Lambert was an all-rounder, a batsman who could open the batting or bat in the middle order, and a bowler of off-spin. His highest first-class score was 107, the only century in a low-scoring match that Wellington won to clinch the Plunket Shield in 1931-32.[1] His best bowling figures were 6 for 102 in Wellington's 19-run victory over Canterbury in 1929-30.[2]

Lambert's first-class cricket career was interrupted by periods of living outside Wellington. However, in 1922-23, while living in Taranaki, he showed such good form for a combined Taranaki and Wanganui team against the touring MCC team – scoring 66 (in 52 minutes) and 63 in the two-day match when nobody else in the team exceeded 37[3][4] – that he was selected to play in the last two of New Zealand's three matches against the MCC. He scored 114 runs in the two matches at an average of 38.00 to lead New Zealand's batting averages.[5] However, his only subsequent appearance for New Zealand was as twelfth man in the Second Test against South Africa in 1931–32.[6] He was the leading scorer in Wellington senior club cricket that season, with 716 runs at an average of 65.09, as well as 35 wickets at 20.51.[7]

In late 1932 Lambert was engaged by the Hastings sub-association of the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association as a coach.[8] He remained there for several seasons, playing occasionally for the Hawke's Bay representative team, which he captained and managed for a Hawke Cup challenge in 1936-37.[9][10]

Lambert married Gladys Muriel Dawe in Wellington in 1920.[11] He died in New Plymouth in July 1984, aged 84.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Otago v Wellington 1931-32". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Wellington v Canterbury 1929-30". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Taranaki and Wanganui v MCC 1922-23". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  4. ^ David Kynaston, Archie's Last Stand: M.C.C. in New Zealand 1922-23, Queen Anne Press, London, 1984, pp. 57–58.
  5. ^ Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, pp. 62–64.
  6. ^ "Three Changes". Evening Post: 11. 2 March 1932.
  7. ^ "Leading Averages". Evening Post: 3. 8 April 1932.
  8. ^ "General Sports News". New Zealand Herald: 17. 16 November 1932.
  9. ^ "Miscellaneous Matches played by Herb Lambert". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Hawke Cup". Manawatu Standard: 2. 26 February 1937.
  11. ^ "Women in Print". Evening Post: 9. 9 August 1920.
  12. ^ "Herb Lambert". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
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