Frederick Harper (24 November 1863 – 19 January 1937) was a New Zealand

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

er. He played fourteen first-class matches for

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

between 1886 and 1895. Harper was a stylish batsman and brilliant fieldsman who captained Otago in most of his matches. He made 53, the highest score of the match, and the highest score of the short New Zealand first-class season, in 1887-88 when Otago beat

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

. After visiting England for the purposes of finding a suitable coach for the Otago Cricket Association, Harper secured the services of

Joseph Lawton Joseph Clement Lawton (9 May 1857 – 20 January 1934) was an English-born New Zealand cricketer and coach. He played first-class cricket for Otago from 1891 to 1894 and played in New Zealand's first representative match. He was the first coach ...

, who became the first professional cricket coach in New Zealand. Harper paid half of Lawton's salary for the first year. Lawton's success led to his re-engagement for several seasons. Harper was a partner in the firm of Messrs McKerrow, Lees and Co, soft goods merchants. He retired to live in

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home ...

with his wife, who survived him.

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* 1863 births 1937 deaths New Zealand cricketers Otago cricketers Cricketers from Bolton British emigrants to New Zealand {{NewZealand-cricket-bio-1860s-stub