Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football & Sporting Memorabilia

To be held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday
6th, 7th, 8th & 9th August 2026

Harry Butler Cave. Wellington, Central Districts and New Zealand 1945 to 1959. New Zealand black cloth Test cap, by Ballantyres of Timaru, Wellington, with embroidered ‘silver fern’ emblem of New Zealand to cap. Name to label ‘H.B. Cave’. Some wear to the inside of the cap, very slight staining to the fern otherwise in good condition. Bought by the vendor at a Cricket Memorabilia Society auction held some years ago and advertised as worn on the New Zealand 1949 tour of England. A rarer Test cap, not many New Zealand Test caps have passed through our auction rooms over the years
Harry Cave’s visit with New Zealand for the 1949 was his first tour and the first Test at Headingley was his Test debut. He played in all four Test matches, 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. He played in 19 Test matches for New Zealand taking 34 wickets at an average of 43.14. He captained New Zealand in nine of his 19 Test matches

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