LOSS TO OTAGO SPORT

Evening Star, Issue 22630, 23 April 1937, Page 12

LOSS TO OTAGO SPORT

V. G. CAVANAGH, JUN., FOR WELLINGTON PROMINENT FOOTBALLER AMD CRICKETER The departure for Wellington on Tuesday next of Mr V. G. Cavanagh, iun., to take up a position there will be a big loss to Otago sport, in which Mr Cavanagh has been a prominent figure during the last 10 years, having represented the province with conspicuous success on cricket and Rugby fields. At the Otago Boys’ High School ho was an outstanding member of the cricket and Rugby elevens, and he entered senior cricket while still a youngster, playing in the Dunedin

Club’s senior eleven for several years, and more recently with Carisbrook A. He represented Otago in Plunket Shield cricket for the first time in the 1927-26 season, and despite one rather lean season recovered his form remarkably, and has the distinction of having- scored 1,023 runs in the Shield games. Cavanagh is one of the best batsmen to represent Otago during the last decade, and in form is a Earticularly attractive player, besides eing a keen and brilliant field. He captained Otago’s Shield team for a season or two, and his leadership was the subject of very laudatory comment on the part of critics. On one occasion, he was chosen for New Zealand as twelfth man in a Test match ,at Christchurch. He has been a most consistent x-un-fetter in the Shield games, some of his est scores being 87 against Wellington in 1929-30, 32 and 23 against M.C.C. in 1929-30, 78 against Canterbury in 1928-29, 61 and 38 against Wellington the same season, 73 against Auckland in 1932, and 77 against Canterbury tho same year, 37 and 62 against Canterbury in 1933-34, 7 and 34 against Auckland that season, and 46 and 8 against Wellington. In 1935-36 he made 63 against Wellington and 66 against AI.C.C.

In Rugln football, Cavanagh was wing-forward and captain of the Southern Club senior fifteen, and for a time played at five-eighth. He represented Otago .seven times in tho 1931 season, but a promising football career was cut short through injury, and he has been coach of the Southern team which won the senior premiership on the last two occasions. With his father, Mr V. G Cavanagh, sen., ho coached the Otago team which put up such a brilliant record in Shield Rugby last year.

Wellington sport has secured a great acquisition, in Mr Cayanagh, and he will bo much missed in cricket and Rugby circles in Otago.