Bob Blair (cricketer)

Blair was a fast bowler who was never quite able to carry his enormous success for Wellington in the Plunket Shield over into the Test arena. In 59 matches for Wellington from 1951–52 to 1964–65 he took 330 wickets at an average of 15.16.{{cite web|title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Bob Blair|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/960/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2017}} In his best season, he took 46 wickets in the five matches of 1956–57 at an average of 9.47, twice taking nine wickets in an innings.{{cite web|title=Bowling in Plunket Shield 1956-57|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/3/Plunket_Shield_1956-57/Bowling_by_Average.html|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 September 2017}} The next season, he took 34 at 11.20, then in a trial match at the end of the season he took five wickets in each innings for North Island against South Island.Wisden 1959, pp. 853-55. But in the series that followed a few months later in England, he took only three wickets in three Tests, at an average of 70.Wisden 1959, p. 229. He achieved his best Test match figures, 7 for 142, in what turned out to be his last Test, against South Africa at Auckland in 1963–64.{{cite web|title=New Zealand v South Africa, Auckland 1963-64|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/26/26619.html|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=15 May 2017}}

Blair holds the record for the lowest career batting average by a Test player who scored a 50 in an innings, with 6.75.{{cite book |last=Walmsley |first=Keith |title=Mosts Without in Test Cricket |year=2003 |publisher=Keith Walmsley Publishing Pty Ltd |location=Reading, England |isbn=0947540067 |pages=457}} His only 50 came in the first innings of the Second Test against England at Wellington in 1962–63, when he came to the wicket with the score at 96 for 7 and hit 64 not out, the top score of the innings, putting on 44 for the last wicket with Frank Cameron to take the final total to 194.Wisden 1964, p. 832.

In the mid-1980s, Blair joined Widnes Cricket Club, who were then part of the Manchester and District Cricket Association, as a coach. In the late 1990s, Blair was coach of the Zimbabwe domestic first class team Matabeleland that competed for the Logan Cup. He then returned for a second spell with Widnes, who had by that time joined the Cheshire County Cricket League. He now lives in Warrington, Cheshire.

In December 1953, Blair, playing for New Zealand against South Africa at Johannesburg, received news that his fiancée, Nerissa Love, had been killed in the Tangiwai railway disaster on Christmas Eve. Blair was not expected to bat when his turn came on Boxing Day, as an announcement had been made that he would take no further part in the game. In the event, however, he appeared at the crease at the fall of the ninth wicket to join Bert Sutcliffe, who had already started to walk off the field. The packed crowd stood in silence.{{cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/380889.html |title=Beyond the call of duty |author=Williamson, Martin |accessdate=19 January 2009 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}} The two men added 33 for the last wicket in 20 balls, with Sutcliffe striking Hugh Tayfield for three sixes and Blair one from a single eight-ball over, but in Tayfield's next over Blair was stumped.{{cite web |url=http://www.sportstats.com.au/bloghome.html |title=Z-score’s Cricket Stats Blog |accessdate=23 May 2024 |publisher=sportstats}} South Africa won the match by 132 runs.{{cite web |url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/20/20929.html |title=South Africa v New Zealand in 1953 |accessdate=19 January 2009 |publisher=CricketArchive}}

A book about the incident, What Are You Doing Out Here: Heroism and Distress at a Cricket Test by Norman Harris, was published in 2010. Blair wrote the foreword.[http://www.lastsidepublishing.co.nz/what-are-you-doing-out-here-isbn-978-0473-16331/ Last Side Publishing website]

In 2011, a television film about the disaster, Tangiwai: A Love Story, was made by Lippy Pictures for Television New Zealand, focusing on the love story of Bob Blair and his fiancée Nerissa Love.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1922735/ |title=Tangiwai (2011) |date=14 August 2011 |publisher=IMDb |accessdate=7 November 2012}} Blair was portrayed by actor Ryan O'Kane and Nerissa Love by Rose McIver. It premiered on TV One on 14 August 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/new-zealand/news/article.cfm?l_id=71&objectid=10743254 |title=Death and the maiden: The tale of 'Tangiwai' |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=6 August 2010 |accessdate=12 August 2011}} It has since been released on DVD.

A play written and performed by Auckland actor Jonny Brugh, The Second Test, tells the story from Blair's perspective, emphasizing his commitment to continue playing with the New Zealand team.{{cite news |url=http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cricket/153898/cricket-emotion-blairs-story-brought-stage |newspaper=Otago Daily Times |title=Cricket: Emotion of Blair's story brought to stage |date=30 March 2011 |accessdate=31 March 2011}}

In 1986, 33 years after the Tangiwai disaster, Blair married his wife Barbara. The couple reside in England.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8788942/Almost-60-years-but-Bob-Blair-never-forgets|title = Almost 60 years, but Bob Blair never forgets|date = 12 June 2013}}

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• {{ESPNcricinfo|id=36300}}
• [https://soundcloud.com/nz-cricket-museum/last-over-with-erin-bob-blair "Last Over with Erin: Bob Blair"] from the New Zealand Cricket Museum via SoundCloud

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Category:1932 births

Category:Living people

Category:Central Districts cricketers

Category:New Zealand Test cricketers

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