Ralph Dew Spraggon (13 August 1872 – 11 September 1939) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played six first-class matches for Otago between 1894 and 1897.[1]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Full name | Ralph Dew Spraggon | ||||||||||||||
Born | Dunedin, New Zealand | 13 August 1872||||||||||||||
Died | 11 September 1939 Palmerston North, New Zealand | (aged 67)||||||||||||||
Role | Batsman | ||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
1894/95–1896/97 | Otago | ||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 8 August 2023 |
Spraggon was born in Dunedin, but his family moved to England when he was a boy, and he was educated at the City of London School. He then returned to New Zealand and took up a position in Dunedin as a commercial traveller for D. Benjamin & Co, importers.[2][3]
Described as "a dashing batsman and a first-class fieldsman",[4] Spraggon made his highest score of 40 not out against Canterbury in February 1897, when, batting at number nine, he "hit out lustily" in a "brilliantly played innings" that helped Otago to win the match after trailing on the first innings.[5][6] In Otago's match against the touring Australian team earlier that season his 36, batting at number 12 in the Otago XV, was the highest score on either side.[7]
Spraggon was transferred by D. Benjamin & Co to Wellington in 1898.[8][9] He married Maud Carnell in Napier in February 1903.[10] Shortly afterwards he transferred to the National Provident and Friendly Societies Department in Wellington, where he worked for 20 years.[11] After some time in Napier, where he suffered serious injuries in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, he moved to Palmerston North, working for the Labour Department.[2] After a few months of illness he died in Palmerston North in September 1939, aged 67, leaving a widow and their son.[2]