Sportsman of the Month
Dave Spence

Within a few weeks the Nelson representative cricket team will take the field in defence of the Hawke Cup, the symbol of minor association supremacy in New Zealand. And without a doubt the man who will lead that team will be Dave Spence-the man who led the Nelson teams between 1958 when Nelson won the trophy from Waikato, and 1965, when after 29 successive defences (a record), Nelson lost it to Manawatu. In that time not only did Dave lead his team to an all-time record for successive defences but also to the winning, in successive years, of the Technos Trophy, awarded to any representative team in New Zealand playing the brightest cricket. And perhaps there was another record-his winning of 25 tosses out of 29. Dave commenced playing at primary school in Hastings and while a member of the Hastings Boys' High School First XI he was a junior representative. Entering senior cricket he played his way into the Hawkes Bay side between 1948 and 1953 when he came down to Nelson and joined the Stoke club. He was included in the Nelson representative side the next season and has remained in it since then. He has represented Central Districts in Plunket Shield cricket and has also won hockey caps in Hawkes Bay and Nelson sides. In 34 Hawke Cup games he has scored 1573 runs and taken 110 wickets. To complete this picture of a versatile sportsman, we add that Dave is no mean golfer - as his 10 handicap at Nelson Golf Club shows.

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A more youthful Dave in 1958 holding the Hawke Cup his team had just lifted from Waikato