Andrew Labatt

Andrew Labatt (1 March 1869 – 27 April 1922) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played first-class cricket for Canterbury and Auckland between 1888 and 1898.^[1]

Andrew Labatt

Labatt in 1899
Personal information
Full name	Andrew Brennan Mountjoye Labatt
Born	(1869-03-01)1 March 1869 Lambeth, England
Died	27 April 1922(1922-04-27) (aged 53) Auckland, New Zealand
Role	All-rounder
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1887/88–1895/96	Canterbury
1897/98	Auckland
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 21 Runs scored 566 Batting average 15.29 100s/50s 0/1 Top score 57 Balls bowled 2,527 Wickets 41 Bowling average 18.36 5 wickets in innings 2 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 5/17 Catches/stumpings 30/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 February 2019

Early life and cricket career

Labatt was born in London. His father was a clergyman in Swindon, Wiltshire. He attended several schools, finally St Edward's School, Oxford, where he was prominent in sport, before moving to New Zealand in 1887.^[2]

Labatt was a middle-order batsman and a bowler who sometimes opened the attack. He was short of stature, "handsome and debonair", and a fine slips fieldsman.^[3] He played for Canterbury soon after arriving in New Zealand. In his second first-class match, in January 1889, he opened the bowling against Otago and bowled throughout the first innings, taking 5 for 17 as Otago were dismissed for 47.^[4] In his next match, against Wellington in December 1889, he made the highest score in a low-scoring match with 47 in the first innings.^[5]

When New South Wales toured New Zealand in 1893-94 they were undefeated in their first three first-class matches, but when they played Canterbury, Labatt made 42 and took five wickets in an innings victory for Canterbury.^[6] He was included in the team a few days later for New Zealand's first first-class representative match, against New South Wales in Christchurch. New Zealand lost heavily, but Labatt top-scored in the second innings with 17.^[7] He also played the next time New Zealand played New South Wales, in 1895-96. This time he was more successful in the field, with four fine catches, and New Zealand won by 142 runs.^[8][3]

He moved to Auckland a few weeks after the match against New South Wales, and played two matches for Auckland in 1897-98, captaining the team in his last match.^[9][10]

Later life

Labatt married Gertrude Constance Rowe, whose father was also an English clergyman, in Auckland in March 1896.^[11] He worked in Auckland as an accountant.^[12]

He served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during World War I.^[12] He was on the permanent medical staff of the transport ship RMS Tahiti in 1918 when an outbreak of Spanish influenza caused high mortality amongst the troops on board.^[2]

When Labatt died in April 1922, Gertrude survived him, along with four sons and a daughter.^[2]