Charles Smith (cricketer, born 1864)

Charles Robert Smith (18 April 1864 – 25 May 1920) was a New Zealand cricketer, cricket administrator and businessman who played four matches of first-class cricket for Hawke's Bay in 1892. He was one of the founders of the New Zealand Cricket Council in 1894.

Born in Sydney, Smith joined the Alliance Assurance Company as a young man in Australia. He took up the position as the company’s manager in Napier, New Zealand, in 1890, before becoming manager in Christchurch in 1892, in Dunedin in 1897, and in Wellington in 1900. He became general manager for New Zealand in 1916, residing in the Wellington suburb of Wadestown.

In March 1920 he took six months leave of absence in the hope that a trip to California would assist his failing health. However, his health gave way on the trip and he returned having only reached Honolulu, and died soon after his return to Auckland in May. He was survived by his wife, Alice. They had no children.

A left-arm spin bowler, Smith varied his pace subtly and was able to move the ball either way off the pitch. In his four first-class matches for Hawke’s Bay he took 33 wickets at an average of 5.81, with a strike rate of a wicket every 15 deliveries.

In his first match, against Taranaki in January 1892, he bowled only in the first innings, taking 4 for 9 off seven five-ball overs. In his second match, three months later, he bowled unchanged throughout both of Taranaki's innings, taking 13 wickets for 33 (7 for 20 and 6 for 13) off 21.5 five-ball overs. Hawke's Bay won both matches easily. With 17 wickets at an average of 2.47, Smith was the leading bowler in the short New Zealand first-class season.