{{short description|New Zealand cricketer (1848–1923)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2016}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = William Meares | fullname = William Edward Devenish Meares | birth_date = {{birth date|1848|12|14|df=yes}} | birth_place = Kiama, Colony of New South Wales | death_date = {{death date and age|1923|10|17|1848|12|14|df=yes}} | death_place = Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand | family = Frank Devenish-Meares (son) | batting = | bowling = | role = Wicket-keeper | club1 = Otago | year1 = {{nowrap|1873/74–1876/77}} | type1 = FC | debutdate1 = 24 November | debutyear1 = 1873 | debutfor1 = Otago | debutagainst1 = Auckland | lastdate1 = 17 January | lastyear1 = 1877 | lastfor1 = Otago | lastagainst1 = Canterbury | date = 16 May | year = 2016 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/37909.html CricInfo }}
'''William Edward Devenish Meares''' (14 December 1848 – 17 October 1923) was an Australian-born New Zealand cricketer. He played in two first-class matches for Otago, one in each of the 1873–74 and 1876–77 seasons.<ref name=ci>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/37909.html William Meares], CricInfo. Retrieved 16 May 2016.</ref>
==Early and professional life== Meares was born at Kiama in the Australian Colony of New South Wales in 1848.<ref name=ca>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22474/22474.html William Meares], CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 November 2023. {{subscription required}}</ref> He worked in the life insurance industry, working in Australia for the Victoria Insurance Company in Sydney before being appointed as the company's New Zealand manager in the early 1870s. He lived in Dunedin initially before moving to take up a job as the general manager of the Union Insurance Company at Christchurch. When the company was purchased by Alliance Assurance he remained as general manager of the new company at Christchurch, retiring in the 1910s.<ref name=pressobit>Obituary: Mr W Devenish Meares, ''The Press'', volume LIX, issue 17897, 18 October 1923, p. 10. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19231018.2.74 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref><ref name=starobit>Personal, ''Evening Star'', issue 18408, 17 October 1923, p. 8. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19231017.2.97 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref><ref name=nzhobit>Obituary, ''New Zealand Herald'', volume LX, issue 18533, 18 October 1923, p. 10. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19231018.2.118 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref><ref>Personal, ''Auckland Star'', volume LIV, issue 249, 18 October 1923, p. 7. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19231018.2.108 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref>
==Cricket== Playing as both captain and wicket-keeper, Meares made his representative debut for Otago in a November 1873 first-class match against Auckland at South Dunedin Recreation Ground. He opened the batting, scoring six runs in his first innings and recording a duck in his second. He also took a wicket towards the end of the match. He also captained Otago during his second representative match, a January 1877 fixture against Canterbury at Christchurch, scoring three runs in his first innings and 10 in his second. Later in the year he played for a side of 22 Otago players against touring English team led by James Lillywhite.<ref name=ca/> He also umpired some first-class matches.<ref name=mc>McCarron A (2010) ''New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010'', p. 91. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. {{isbn|978 1 905138 98 2}} ([https://archive.acscricket.com/cricketers_series/new_zealand_cricketers_1863-64_2010/index.html Available online] at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.)</ref>
==Later life and family== Meares was active in the Chamber of Commerce in both Dunedin and Christchurch and was described in an obituary as "a well-known figure in business circles in Christchurch for many years".<ref name=postobit>Personal Matters, ''The Evening Post'', volume CVI, issue 93, 17 October 1923, p. 6. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19231017.2.80 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.</ref> He was the first person to be elected as a life-member of Canterbury Chamber of Commerce,<ref>The Late Mr W Devenish Meares, ''The Press'', volume LIX, issue 17907, 30 October 1923, p. 11. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19231030.2.93 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref> and was also a member of the New Zealand Cricket Council―a motion passed after his death by the Council described him as "an enthusiastic supporter of cricket" who "had done, very good work on the Council".<ref>NZ Cricket Council, ''The Press'', volume LIX, issue 17905, 27 October 1923, p. 16. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19231027.2.116 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref> After his retirement Meares spent some time in England where one of his daughters was married in London in 1913.<ref name=pressobit/><ref>Personal notes from London, ''The Press'', volume XLIX, issue 14635, 9 April 1913, p. 4. ([https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19130409.2.17 Available online] at Papers Past. Retrieved 5 November 2023.)</ref>
After a period of illness, Meares died at Christchurch in 1923. He was aged 74 and was survived by a son and five daughters.<ref name=ci/><ref name=pressobit/> His son, Frank Devenish-Meares, played three first-class matches in Australia at the turn of the 20th century as well as playing Australian Rules Football, captaining East Fremantle Football Club for a short time.<ref name=mc/><ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/5/5819/5819.html Frank Devenish-Meares], CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 November 2023. {{subscription required}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{ESPNcricinfo|id=37909}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Meares, William}} Category:1848 births Category:1923 deaths Category:New Zealand cricketers Category:Otago cricketers