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Harold Vincent Stapleton (7 January 1915 – 24 September 2015) was an Australian cricketer who played a single first-class match for New South Wales in 1941. He was one of only three Australian first-class cricketers to live past the age of 100, the others being Ted Martin and Jack Laver.

Born in Kyogle, New South Wales, Stapleton played in a number of minor matches during the 1930s, including for Lismore, Northern New South Wales, and the New South Wales colts and second XI teams. He played his single first-class match for New South Wales against South Australia in February 1941, the final match of the war-interrupted 1940–41 season. He scored one run in New South Wales' only innings, and failed to take a wicket from ten eight-ball overs, opening the bowling with Vic Jackson. Stapleton enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in April of the same year, serving as a corporal in the Australian Army.

Having served in New Guinea, Stapleton was discharged from service in January 1946, and took up employment with an oil company based in Wollongong. He continued to play cricket with St George in the Sydney grade cricket competition, and finished his career with 2,242 runs at an average of 32.49 and 93 wickets at an average of 17.56. On the death of Ernie Crossan in August 2009, Stapleton became the oldest living Australian first-class cricketer. Stapleton died at the age of 100 on 24 September 2015. He was the oldest lived New South Wales cricketer, surpassing George Moore's record.

See also

• List of centenarians (sportspeople)
• List of New South Wales representative cricketers

References

1. ^ "Australia's Oldest Cricketer Harold Stapleton Dies at 100". NDTV. 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
2. Miscellaneous Matches played by Harold Stapleton (7) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
3. South Australia v New South Wales, First-Class matches in Australia 1940/41 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
4. STAPLETON, HAROLD VINCENT Archived 19 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine – WW2 Nominal Roll. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
5. ST GEORGE CRICKETER HAROLD STAPLETON BECOMES OLDEST LIVING NSW CRICKETER Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – St George District Cricket Club. Published 28 June 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
6. "Oldest New South Wales player Crossan dies". CricInfo. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
7. Harold Stapleton becomes longest-living New South Wales cricketer – Bradman Foundation. Published 21 July 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2012.

• 1915 births
• 2015 deaths
• Australian Army soldiers
• Australian cricketers
• Australian Army personnel of World War II
• Cricketers from New South Wales
• New South Wales cricketers
• St George cricketers
• Australian men centenarians
• People from the Northern Rivers