Debut:

Other Teams: North Otago SIPST (2008-2009)

Batting Style: Right-hand bat
Bowling Style: Right-arm medium
Playing Role: All-rounder

Club(s): SKC, Albion, Dunedin

A member of a prestigious North Otago sporting family, Jeremy Smith has become a cornerstone of the Hawke Cup side, delivering crucial performances throughout his provincial career.

Smith debuted as a high school student against Mid Canterbury in 2013, scoring 39 batting at number 10 and bowling just four overs in North Otago's 132-run victory. After strong performances earned him promotion to the top order, including a brief stint as opener, he settled into the middle order where he found consistency.

The 2015-16 season saw arguably North Otago's most dominant team, with Smith playing a vital role. He scored 81 against South Canterbury—his first Hawke Cup half-century—followed by 71 against Mid Canterbury two weeks later. After winning the zone, North Otago challenged Buller for the Hawke Cup. Smith took three wickets in Buller's first innings as North Otago claimed the Cup for only the second time in its history.

His finest all-round performance so far in his career came in January 2021 at Queen's Park, Invercargill. North Otago needed an outright victory over Southland to win the zone—something they had never achieved in Southland across 100 years of competition. Smith produced a match-winning display: 57 and 25 not out with the bat, and devastating spells of 5-81 and 6-66 with the ball, leading his side to a 15-run victory. His 10-wicket match haul and half-century repeated a feat only achieved by the legendary John Reid 63 years earlier.

North Otago then faced defending holders Nelson in a Hawke Cup challenge. Smith took three wickets in the second innings as North Otago secured a dominant 250-run victory, making him a two-time Hawke Cup winner. The match was especially meaningful as younger brother Nathan, available between Otago commitments, joined him to open the bowling in both innings.

When Lachlan Kingan retired from representative cricket at season's end, Smith's growing maturity was rewarded with the captaincy.

His second 10-wicket match came that season against South Canterbury. He dismantled their batting with 8-23 in the first innings—the best North Otago bowling in 93 years and second-best overall—as South Canterbury collapsed to 48, their lowest score against North Otago in 126 years. He added 5-29 in the second innings for match figures of 13-52, the second-best bowling performance in North Otago history.

As captain, Smith has led from the front with the bat, amassing 382 runs between 2022-24. He claimed the batting trophy during a difficult 2023-24 season and came agonisingly close to centuries with two scores in the 90s.

Early in his career, Smith was considered a fifth-choice seamer behind Francis Mostert, Craig Smith, Ben Cant and Nathan Smith. Following their departures, he seized the opportunity to become a frontline bowler. His development is stark: in his first 40 matches he took 49 wickets, but in his last 27 he has claimed 71 - including 30 during the 2021-22 Hawke Cup-winning season.

Smith has evolved into an indispensable all-rounder for North Otago and looks set to rewrite the record books in the years ahead.

February 2026