Harry Whitta

Harry Whitta

Personal information
Full name	Henry Beckett Whitta
Born	2 March 1883 Christchurch, New Zealand
Died	11 July 1944 (aged 61) Christchurch
Batting style	Right-handed
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1903-04 to 1919-20	Canterbury
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 19 Runs scored 749 Batting average 22.69 100s/50s 1/4 Top score 147 Balls bowled 30 Wickets 0 Bowling average – 5 wickets in innings – 10 wickets in match – Best bowling – Catches/stumpings 6/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 9 January 2015

Henry Beckett "Harry" Whitta (2 March 1883 – 11 July 1944) played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1904 to 1919, and played for New Zealand in the days before New Zealand played Test cricket.

"A dashing batsman of short stature, and an excellent point fieldsman",^[1] Whitta had his best season in 1913-14, when he captained Canterbury and was the leading batsman in the Plunket Shield, scoring 333 runs in four matches at an average of 47.57.^[2] Opening the batting, he scored 147 (in 260 minutes)^[3] and 41 in the 318-run victory over Auckland.^[4] Canterbury won all four matches easily. He was selected to open the batting in New Zealand's first match against the touring Australians later that season, and scored 12 and 53 (in 63 minutes)^[5] but New Zealand lost and he was one of seven players omitted for the second match.^[6] Whitta was also the leading batsman in the Christchurch competition, with 745 runs at 106.42 for his club Riccarton, who were defeated in the final.^[7]

He later served as a Test selector.

References

1. New Zealand Herald, 12 July 1944, p. 2.
2. Plunket Shield batting 1913-14
3. Auckland Star, 24 January 1914, p. 7.
4. Canterbury v Auckland 1913-14
5. The Press, 10 March 1914, p. 8.
6. Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, pp. 57-58.
7. New Zealand Herald, 30 March 1914, p. 4.

External links

• Henry Whitta at Cricket Archive