LATE H. DE MAUS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18814, 18 July 1929, Page 9

LATE H. DE MAUS.

BRILLIANT CRICKETER. Cable advice from Suva announces the death there on Monday of Mr H. (Bert) De Maus, a brilliant batsman, and one of the best all-round cricketers of his day. He was a member of the Lancaster Park Club, and, for the period covering the seasons from 1890 to 1897, was regarded as the most consistent batsman in Canterbury and one of the leading batsmen of the Dominion. He also was a sound fieldsman, and a valuable change bowler, as he proved on many occasions when the stock bowlers failed to get wickets. Tall, and with a long reach, he possessed an easy and graceful style, one of his principal assets as a batsman being his admirable timing. lie left New Zealand somewhere about 1898 for Fiji, where he entered a business firm and where he had lived ever since. Shortly before leaving, he married Miss Pirie, who survives him. During his eight years’ career as a representative cricketer he represented Canterbury in almost every home interprovincial match played during that period, and in many played outside Canterbury. He also represented New Zealand against Australia in 1896, against New South Wales in 1894 and 1596, and against Queensland in 1896. Some of his best innings were:—74 and 23, against New South Wales; 27 and 45, against Otago (1891), top score in each innings; 49 and 7, against Wellington (1892); 94 and and 4 not out, against Wellington (1894) ; 53 and 13 against Queensland, the match in which A. Sims made his debut in representative cricket, scoring 31 and 37; 75 and 18 (top score), against Otago (1897) ; 38 not out, against Auckland (1894) when L. A. Cuff and J. D. Lawrence made a New Zealand firstwic.ket record of 306, Cuff scoring 176 and Lawrence 167, Canterbury declaring with five wickets for 400; and 5 and 52 against Otago (1896). His best performances with the ball were 7 for 48, against Wellington (1891); 5 for 94 and 3 for 13, against Auckland (1592); 2 for 24 and 3 for 22, against Otago (1891). He was a member of the Canter-

bury team that met Otago at Dunedin in November, 1896, and were dismissed for 27 and 49, by Downes and Fisher, De Maus being top scorer in the first innings with 9. Otago did not fare much better, their scores being 59 and 18 for 1. Downes’s bag was 7 for. 12 and 5 for 28, and Fisher’s 3 for 15 and 2 for 7, three Canterbury men being run out in the second innings. Had De Maus taken football as seriously as he did the cricket, he might have achieved representative honours in the winter game, for he had in him the makings of a first-class threequarter. Of a most genial and happy temperament, he was extremely popular both on and off the field. He had a fine personality, and being of fine physique, he was both mentally and physically an admirable example of a first-class sportsman.