Arthur Symonds (cricketer)


Arthur Edmund Symonds was a New Zealand sportsman. He played one first-class match for Otago during the 1926–27 season.
Born at Dunedin in 1890, Symonds worked for railway companies. He played rugby union for the Zingari-Richmond club in Dunedin and represented the Otago Rugby Football Union in seven matches between 1911 and 1912. He was described after his death as having "played a good, honest game of football" and in 1930 he was considered to have been one of the club's most prominent players. He was later one of its vice-presidents.
Symonds played club cricket for Dunedin Cricket Club and represented the provincial side in a 1924 fixture against Southland. He scored 43 and 17 and was reported as having "played well", although "he had more than his share of luck".
He played his only first-class match for Otago in February 1927. In the match, which was against Canterbury cricket team at Carisbrook in Dunedin, he kept-wicket, replacing Laurie Green who had broken a rib in the previous match against Auckland. Symonds took one catch and scored five runs, although his wicket-keeping was poor and his performance behind the stumps described as "not too good" as he conceded too many byes. He missed a "good stumping chance", although his keeping improved during the match. He did not play for the representative side again.
Symonds died at Lower Hutt in 1946. He was aged 55.