| Frank Rapley | |
| Fullname: | Arthur Frank Rapley |
| Birth Date: | 2 September 1937 |
| Birth Place: | Kaiapoi, New Zealand |
| Batting: | Left-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm off-spin |
| Family: | Fraser Sheat (grandson) |
| Club1: | Canterbury |
| Year1: | 1957-58 to 1959-60 |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | FC |
| Matches1: | 8 |
| Runs1: | 102 |
| Bat Avg1: | 25.50 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/0 |
| Top Score1: | 40 |
| Deliveries1: | 1425 |
| Wickets1: | 23 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 20.43 |
| Fivefor1: | 1 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 6/73 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 4/– |
| Date: | 20 November 2018 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/38280.html Cricinfo |
Arthur Frank Rapley (born 2 September 1937) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1958 to 1960.
An off-spin bowler and useful lower-order batsman, Rapley played his first match for Canterbury at the age of 20 in the last round of the Plunket Shield in 1957-58 and took four wickets (match figures of 35–15–60–4).[1] He was selected in the trial match for South Island a few days later and took two wickets cheaply.[2]
He took only eight wickets in five matches in 1958-59.[3] However, he made his highest first-class score of 40 in Canterbury's victory over Central Districts, when he and Graham Dowling added 85 for the last wicket, Dowling finishing on 103 not out.[4]
Rapley did not play in Canterbury's first four Plunket Shield matches in 1959-60 but, restored to the team for their final match, he was the leading bowler in Canterbury's victory over Northern Districts, taking 3 for 54 and 6 for 73 (match figures of 78.1–30–127–9).[5] This victory, achieved at the last possible moment of the match, gained Canterbury the Plunket Shield.[6] But it was Rapley's last first-class match.[7]
Rapley played for North Canterbury in the Hawke Cup from 1963 to 1983.[8] In all he played 65 matches for North Canterbury, taking 209 wickets.[9] In a two-day match for West Coast against Buller in 1960-61 he took 8 for 11 and 5 for 33.[10]
Rapley has spent most of his life in the North Canterbury region, where he was born. He was assistant town clerk for the Rangiora Borough Council in the 1970s,[11] and was one of the first trustees of the North Canterbury Sport & Recreation Trust after it was established in 1982.[12] He served as a justice of the peace in Rangiora until 2007.[13]
His grandson Fraser Sheat has played for Canterbury since the 2017-18 season.[14]