Eric William Dempster (25 January 1925 â 15 August 2011) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in five Test matches in 1953 and 1954, before becoming an international umpire.
A left-arm spinner and useful lower-order batsman, Dempster played first-class cricket for Wellington from 1947âÂÂ48 to 1960âÂÂ61. His best first-class bowling figures of 5 wickets for 46 runs came in the match against Orange Free State at Bloemfontein in 1953âÂÂ54. He scored his only century, 105, for Wellington against Canterbury at Wellington in the 1956âÂÂ57 Plunket Shield.
He made his Test debut in the Second Test against South Africa in Auckland in 1952âÂÂ53, and toured South Africa the following season, playing in four of the five Tests. His best performance in Tests was in the Fourth Test in 1953âÂÂ54 in Johannesburg: he made 21 not out batting at number eight in the first innings then, when New Zealand followed on, he opened and top-scored with 47 in the second innings.
Dempster became an umpire and officiated in several of Otago's home first-class and one-day matches from 1971âÂÂ72 to 1979âÂÂ80. He also umpired three One Day International matches in Dunedin and Christchurch between 1973âÂÂ74 and 1975âÂÂ76.
Dempster worked in Dunedin as the manager of the artificial limb service which was attached to Dunedin Hospital. In the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the disabled and cricket. He died in Dunedin on 15 August 2011.