Alex Moir

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New Zealand cricketer

title: "Alex Moir" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1919-births", "2000-deaths", "cricketers-from-dunedin", "new-zealand-test-cricketers", "otago-cricketers", "cricketers-who-have-taken-five-wickets-on-test-debut", "south-island-cricketers", "new-zealand-military-personnel-of-world-war-ii"] description: "New Zealand cricketer" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Moir" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary New Zealand cricketer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox cricketer"]

Field	Value
name	Alex Moir
fullname	Alexander McKenzie Moir
image	File:AM Moir 1959.jpg
imagesize	165px
caption	Moir in 1959
birth_date
birth_place	Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
death_date
death_place	Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
international	true
internationalspan	1951–1959
country	New Zealand
testdebutagainst	England
testdebutdate	17 March
testdebutyear	1951
testcap	53
lasttestdate	14 March
lasttestagainst	England
lasttestyear	1959
batting	Right-handed
bowling	Legbreak
club1	Otago
year1	1949/50–1961/62
columns	2
column1	Test
matches1	17
runs1	327
bat avg1	14.86
100s/50s1	0/0
top score1	41*
deliveries1	2,650
wickets1	28
bowl avg1	50.64
fivefor1	2
tenfor1	0
best bowling1	6/155
catches/stumpings1	2/–
column2	First-class
matches2	97
runs2	2,102
bat avg2	16.42
100s/50s2	0/8
top score2	70
deliveries2	18,648
wickets2	368
bowl avg2	24.56
fivefor2	25
tenfor2	5
best bowling2	8/37
catches/stumpings2	44/–
date	1 April
year	2017
source	http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/37724.html Cricinfo
::

Early life

Moir served in Europe with New Zealand forces in World War II as a driver. At the end of the war he played a few matches for the New Zealand Services cricket team in England.

Cricket career

In his early career, Moir was mostly a batsman. When his Dunedin club, Grange, won the Otago Cricket Association competition in 1948–49, he was their leading batsman, with 536 runs at an average of 48.72, and did little bowling. The Otago Daily Times said he was "an attractive batsman and if he would temper his aggression with more discretion he would be unquestionably a candidate for a place in the Otago Plunket Shield team." But after watching the Australian leg-spinner Bill O'Reilly bowl, Moir decided to try his hand at leg-spin, and it was primarily as a spinner that he won his spot in the Otago team in 1949–50, when he made his first-class debut at the age of 30.

Like O'Reilly, Moir bowled quicker than most leg-spinners. His figures remained the best by a New Zealander on Test debut until Colin de Grandhomme took 6 for 41 in November 2016. The next time England toured, in 1954–55, Moir took 5 for 62 in England's first innings in the Second Test, only for England then to dismiss New Zealand for the lowest Test score ever, 26.

Moir was not selected for New Zealand's tour of South Africa in 1953–54, the selectors preferring younger, more athletic players. While the Test team were away, in 1953–54 Moir took match figures of 15 for 203 for Otago against Central Districts at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth. He toured India and Pakistan in 1955–56, and England in 1958, but with little success on either tour.

After a successful Plunket Shield season in 1958–59, in which he took his best innings figures of 8 for 37 (and 4 for 84 in the second innings after scoring 62) against Northern Districts, Moir was selected in the trial match for South Island against North Island. He scored 52 not out and 70 and took two wickets in South Island's victory, and was selected in the Test team for the two-match series. He took five wickets in the two Tests, but they were his last Tests. He had three more successful seasons with Otago before retiring with a record number of wickets in the Plunket Shield.

He is one of only two bowlers to have bowled consecutive overs in a Test innings; this occurred on 28 March 1951, the fourth day of the Wellington Test against England, on either side of the tea interval. The other recorded instance of this violation of the Laws of cricket in a Test match was in 1921, the bowler being Warwick Armstrong.

Personal life

Moir worked as a school teacher.

References

"Alexander McKenzie Moir".
"Miscellaneous Matches played by Alex Moir". CricketArchive.
(29 March 1949). "Well-balanced Grange Team Deserves Honours". [[Otago Daily Times]].
''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Wisden]]'' 2001, p. 1596.
"1st Test, Christchurch, Mar 16 – 21 1951, England tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo.
(18 November 2016). "Stats: Colin de Grandhomme breaks New Zealand record for best figures on Test debut".
"2nd Test, Auckland, Mar 24 – 28 1955, England tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo.
Richard Boock, ''The Last Everyday Hero'', Longacre, Auckland, 2010, p. 100.
[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20956.html Central Districts v Otago 1953-54]
"Northern Districts v Otago 1958-59". CricketArchive.
"North Island v South Island 1958-59". CricketArchive.
''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Wisden]]'' 1960, pp. 846–51.
Martin-Jenkins, C. (1983) ''The Cricketer Book of Cricket Disasters and Bizarre Records'', Century Publishing: London. {{ISBN. 07126 0191 0.
[[R. T. Brittenden]], ''New Zealand Cricketers'', A. H. & A. W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, pp. 117–19.

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