Full name Lankford Daniel Smith Name Lankford Smith Years Team | Role Football player | |
Date of birth (1914-12-21)21 December 1914 Date of death 28 November 1978(1978-11-28) (aged 63) Died November 28, 1978, Dunedin, New Zealand | ||
Place of death Dunedin, New Zealand Place of birth Ngaio, New Zealand | ||
Lankford Daniel Smith (21 December 1914 – 28 November 1978) was a football (soccer) player who represented New Zealand at international level. He was also an accomplished cricketer, playing first-class cricket for Otago from 1935 to 1957.
Smith played two official A-international matches for the New Zealand national football team in 1948, both against visiting trans-Tasman neighbours Australia, the first a 0-7 loss on 28 August, followed by a 0-4 loss on 4 September.
A middle-order batsman and left-arm spinner, Smith captained Otago in 1945-46 and from 1947-48 to 1955-56, leading the province to victory in the Plunket Shield in 1947-48, 1950-51 and 1952-53. He scored 2281 runs at 24.52, and took 85 wickets at 38.23. He scored his only century in the victory over Central Districts in Dunedin that gave Otago the 1952-53 shield. Dick Brittenden said that apart from his batting, bowling and "inspiring example in the field", "perhaps his greatest asset as a captain was his firm belief in the ability of his team. He was so deeply convinced it was the better side that it very often was."