Dick Motz
A raw-boned fast bowler who hurled New Zealand to its first Test cricket victories, becoming the nation's pioneering 100-wicket taker.
1940–2007 (age 67)·New Zealand cricketer·Birthday: January 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dick Motz was the workhorse engine of New Zealand's cricket rise in the 1960s. With a long, pounding run-up and a whippy action, he generated genuine pace that often surprised better-fancied opponents. In an era where New Zealand struggled for recognition, Motz provided firepower. His partnership with fellow seamer Bruce Taylor was instrumental in securing the country's first-ever Test match wins against South Africa and India. The sheer physical toll of fast bowling on uncovered pitches shortened his career, but not before he crashed through a historic barrier: in 1969, he became the first New Zealander to claim 100 Test wickets. Off the field, his cheerful, unassuming nature made him a beloved figure, a pioneer who bowled fast and straight, and broke new ground.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dick was born in 1940, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2007Died at 67
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- First New Zealand bowler to take 100 wickets in Test cricket.
- Played a key role in New Zealand's first-ever Test match victory, against South Africa in 1962.
- Took 5 wickets in an innings six times in his 32-Test career.
Did You Know?
He was also a hard-hitting lower-order batsman, with a first-class century to his name.
He worked as a postman after his cricket career ended.
His Test bowling average of 31.48 was highly respectable for a fast bowler of his era.
“A fast bowler's job is to make the batsman uncomfortable, every ball.”
