 Cunis in 1967 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Robert Smith Cunis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1941-01-05)5 January 1941 Whangārei, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 9 August 2008(2008-08-09) (aged 67) Whangārei, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-armfast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Stephen Cunis (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 101) | 13 March 1964 v South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 20 April 1972 v West Indies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960/61–1974/75 | Auckland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975/76–1976/77 | Northern Districts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:Cricinfo,30 January 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert Smith Cunis (5 January 1941 – 9 August 2008) was a cricketer who played 20Test matches forNew Zealand as a pace bowler between 1964 and 1972, and was later coach of the New Zealand team from 1987 to 1990. His sonStephen played cricket forCanterbury between 1998 and 2006.[1]
A sturdily-built fast-medium bowler, Cunis played forAuckland from 1960–61 to 1973–74, and forNorthern Districts in 1975–76 and 1976–77.
On his first-class debut in December 1960, Cunis took 6 for 72 and 2 for 26 against Northern Districts to help Auckland to an eight-wicket victory.[2] In 1961–62 he took 27 wickets at 14.18, including 2 for 31 and 7 for 29 in the victory over Central Districts.[3] In the first match of the 1963–64 season he took 6 for 44 and 7 for 41 in a one-wicket victory over Canterbury.[4]
Cunis played his first Test against thevisiting South Africans at the end of the 1963–64 season, taking two wickets (Graeme Pollock andDenis Lindsay) in a drawn match.[5] He had a moderate season in 1964–65 and was not selected for any of the home Tests against Pakistan or the tour that followed. In 1965–66 he took 22 wickets at 17.45 in thePlunket Shield and played in all three Tests against England, taking seven wickets at 35.43 off 121.5 overs.[6] In the First Test, when New Zealand were 32 for 8 in the second innings, "Cunis, a well-built Rugby centre-threequarter, saved the day by defending successfully through the last thirty-five minutes" in a partnership withVic Pollard.[7] His 16 not out was the top score.
In the first match of the 1966–67 season, Cunis took 7 for 30 against Northern Districts. In his most successful batting season he made 293 runs at 41.85 in the Plunket Shield, including two 50s and the only first-classcentury of his career, 111, batting at number eight against Otago. He also took 19 wickets at 20.21, and played for New Zealand in three of the matches againstthe visiting Australian side, but with little success.
In 1968–69 he took 30 wickets at 12.60 to help Auckland to the Plunket Shield. Once again he shone in the season's opening match, taking 6 for 39 and 4 for 54 in an innings victory over Northern Districts.[8] He played in the three Tests against the visiting West Indies side later that season, taking 2 for 76 and 3 for 36 in New Zealand's victory in the Second Test.
Cunis touredEngland in 1969. His early form was unimpressive, but after taking 6 for 54 against Sussex he was selected for the Third Test and took 3 for 49 and 2 for 36.[9] He played all three Tests against India later that year, taking nine wickets at 17.55, then two Tests against Pakistan for six wickets at 23.50. In the Third Test at Dacca, coming in at 101 for 8 in the second innings with New Zealand leading by only 84, he batted for more than two hours withMark Burgess, scoring 23 in a partnership of 96 that put the match out of Pakistan's reach and gave New Zealand their first ever series victory.[10]
Cunis's jaw was broken while batting for New Zealand against Western Australia in Perth in the Australasian one-day competition in January 1971, but he played in the two Tests against England that began a few weeks later. The Second Test in Auckland was his most successful Test, when his "persistent length and sharp out-swing provided a consistent challenge to the batsmen"[11] and he took 6 for 76 and 3 for 52.[12]
He was selected to play in theWorld XI that toured Australia in 1971–72, but had little success. In the tour to the West Indies that followed, Cunis took only six wickets in the five Tests at an average of 102.83. He did, however, hit his highest Test score, 51, in the second Test, adding 136 for the eighth wicket withBevan Congdon in 190 minutes.[13] After that series he lost his place in the Test team to the younger fast bowlersRichard Collinge,Dayle Hadlee andRichard Hadlee, although he continued to play domestic cricket in New Zealand until 1976–77.
He worked as a school teacher.[14]
Dick Brittenden wrote that Cunis's cricket career was plagued by knee injuries that affected his bowling. "His inability to move really freely gave him in his run-up the lurching gait of a drunken sailor; and [he] seemed to bowl from the wrong foot, to add to his enchantment."[15]
Test Match Special commentatorAlan Gibson once commented, "This is Cunis at the Vauxhall End. Cunis, a funny sort of name: neither one thing nor the other."[16] However, according to hisWisden obituary, the witticism was probably first coined byAlan Ross in a report inThe Observer of the New Zealanders' match againstSussex in 1969.[17]
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