Date of Event
Victorian Premier Cricket:
Sat Feb 15, 2020 6:42PM
John Smith pictured in 1954-55, the season before his 1st XI debut at Glenferrie Oval
Cricket Victoria has been advised that John Smith, former Victorian and Hawthorn-East Melbourne fast bowler, passed away on February 10 aged 83.
John Smith played one first class match for Victoria, selected to play against the South Africans at the MCG in January 1964. He took a creditable 4/76 in the tourists' first innings and scored 7 in his only innings.
For Hawthorn-East Melbourne, Smith played 113 matches, scoring 970 runs at 15.15 with a highest score of 62, and took 271 wickets at 16.19, 14 times taking five or more wickets in an innings and once taking 10/59 in a match - against the Bulldogs at Glenferrie Oval in 1958-59. Those match figures included his best innings analysis of 9/32.
Smith captained the Hawks to their 1962-63 premiership win over the Swans and was skipper for four seasons. He twice won the club bowling averages and twice won the Harry Boyle Club Champion award for the club. Smith was awarded life membership of the HEMCC in 1976 and was named in the Hawthorn Team of the Century in 2000.
John later served on the Hawks' Committee for a time. His work shortened his playing career.
Cricket Victoria extends sincere condolences to the Smith family and to the Kingston-Hawthorn East Melbourne Cricket Club.