Henry Butler Cave (10 October 1922 – 15 September 1989) was a New Zealand cricketer who captained New Zealand in nine of his 19 Test matches. His Test career extended from 1949 to 1958, and he played first-class cricket from 1945 to 1959. Early life Harry Cave was born into a family of farmers and cricketers from the Wanganui area. His father had a farm at Westmere, north of Wanganui. His uncle Ken Cave umpired all four matches in New Zealand's first Test series in 1929-30. Harry went to school at Westmere before attending Wanganui Collegiate School. He took up farming after leaving school. Cricket career 1940s Cave's cricket career was often interrupted by the demands of his farming life, where he was supported by his brother and farming partner Tom. An all-rounder, six feet two inches tall, Cave bowled accurate medium-pace and batted in the middle or lower order. He first played for Wanganui in his teens, and became one of their leading players in the Hawke Cup. In the 1940s, Wanganui players were eligible to play for Wellington, and he made his first-class debut for Wellington on Christmas Eve 1945. In January 1947 he took 6 for 44 (from 29 overs) and 2 for 72 when Wellington beat Canterbury in the Plunket Shield. A torn elbow muscle in 1947 made it difficult for him to bowl his stock out-swinger, and from then on he relied on seamers, cutters and in-swingers. Cave toured England in 1949 and played in all four Tests. The tour report in Wisden described his bowling as "always steady and reliable", but on the good batting pitches of the season he took only four wickets from 141 overs in the Tests at an average of 116.25. 1950s Cave was one of the leading players in Central Districts' inaugural season in the Plunket Shield in 1950-51, when they finished second. In 1952-53 he and Ian Leggat added 239 for the ninth wicket for Central Districts against Otago in Dunedin, setting a New Zealand ninth-wicket record that still stands. A few days later, Cave captured 13 wickets in one day, taking 7 for 31 and 6 for 33 in Central Districts' innings victory over Auckland in Palmerston North. In 1953-54 Cave became captain of Central Districts, and led them to the Plunket Shield title for the first time. He also led the competition bowling averages with 24