Dick Staples

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Dick Staples (Arthur Staples) was a New Zealand cricketer who played four first-class matches for Wellington between 1901 and 1904. He was born in Wellington on 8 January 1878 and died there on 13 August 1954. He attended Wellington College and worked as a bootmaker.

Known as a "stonewaller," Staples was a careful batsman. He stood out on Wellington's northern tour in December 1903, where he was the team's top scorer. In the first match against Hawke's Bay he opened the innings and made 78 in about four and a half hours, then added 31 not out in the second innings after moving to number six. In the next match against Auckland, he top-scored for both sides with 67 in the first innings, helping Wellington to victory.

Overall that season he scored 212 runs at 42.40, the third-highest total in New Zealand for the season. Despite this success, he did not play further first-class cricket.

Career statistics: First-class matches 4; runs 221; batting average 31.57; top score 78; 0 centuries, 2 fifties; balls bowled 186; wickets 5; bowling average 16.20; best bowling 3/48; catches 0.