Lance Pearson

Launcelot Robert Pearson (1 January 1937 – 20 July 2019)^[1] was a New Zealand cricketer and basketballer.

Lance Pearson

Personal information
Full name	Launcelot Robert Pearson
Born	(1937-01-01)1 January 1937 Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Died	20 July 2019(2019-07-20) (aged 82) Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	Batsman
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1961/62–1970/71	Otago
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 31 Runs scored 1,348 Batting average 23.64 100s/50s 1/6 Top score 140 Balls bowled 116 Wickets 1 Bowling average 70.00 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 1/6 Catches/stumpings 26/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 15 October 2019

Pearson was born at Dunedin in 1937 and educated at King's High School in the city.^[2] He played 31 first-class matches for Otago between the 1961–62 and 1970–71 seasons.^[3] An opening batsman, his highest score, and only first-class century, was 140 in Otago's victory over Auckland in 1969–70.^[4] In Otago's poor season in the Plunket Shield in 1962–63, he was the only batsman in the team to average over 20, with 283 runs at 28.30, "the result of several fine aggressive innings".^[5] In the first match of the senior club season in Dunedin in 1966–67, he scored 203 for Kaikorai in just over three hours, with 20 fours and 13 sixes.^[6]

Pearson was prominent in basketball in Otago for most of his life, as a player, coach and administrator. He captained Otago to national titles in 1968 and 1970. He was made a life member of Basketball Otago in 2019.^[7] Pearson died later in the year at Dunedin. He was aged 82.^[3]