Colin Blades

{{short description|West Indian cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Colin Blades

| image =

| fullname = Colin Francis Blades

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|8|13|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Saint Philip Parish, Barbados

| nickname =

| heightm =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium

| role = All-rounder

| family =

| country = Bermuda

| international = true

| internationalspan = 1975–1982

| club1 = Barbados

| year1 = 1964–1970

| date = 2 February

| year = 2016

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/23302.html CricketArchive

}}

Colin Francis Blades (born 13 August 1944) is a former West Indian cricketer who played both for Barbados in West Indian domestic cricket and for Bermuda internationally. He captained Bermuda at the 1982 ICC Trophy, where he was also the overall leading run-scorer.

Blades was born in Saint Philip Parish, Barbados.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/23302.html Colin Blades] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. He made his first-class debut in February 1964, playing for Barbados against British Guiana. After his debut, Blades did not feature for Barbados again until the 1968–69 Shell Shield season, when he played in all four of his team's matches.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Colin Blades] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. Against Jamaica, he made what was to be his highest first-class score, 75 runs from third in the batting order (including ten fours and a six).[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/29/29914.html Barbados v Jamaica], Shell Shield 1968/69 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. During the 1969 English season, Blades appeared twice for Nottinghamshire in the Second XI Championship.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/Second_Eleven_Championship_Matches.html Second Eleven Championship matches played by Colin Blades] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. Later in the season, he also played in several exhibition games for the International Cavaliers (including against the touring New Zealanders).[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/Miscellaneous_Matches.html Miscellaneous matches played by Colin Blades] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. He eventually joined up with the Barbadian squad that was on its own tour of England, playing two first-class matches (against Nottinghamshire and the Cavaliers) and a one-day fixture (against Essex).[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/List_A_Matches.html List A matches played by Colin Blades] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016.

Having played his last games for Barbados during the 1969–70 season, Blades moved to Bermuda in the early 1970s. He is first recorded as playing for the Bermudian national side in 1975, when he represented the team against Jamaica. In 1979, Blades was selected for Bermuda in the inaugural edition of the ICC Trophy.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23302/ICC_Trophy_Matches.html ICC Trophy matches played by Colin Blades] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. He was one of six members of the squad with first-class experience, the others being Joseph Bailey, Noel Gibbons, Clarence Parfitt, Lionel Thomas, and Winston Trott.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/ICC_Trophy_1979/Bermuda_Batting.html Batting and fielding for Bermuda], ICC Trophy 1979 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. His biggest contribution at the tournament was as a bowler, with his best performances being 1/3 from 12 overs against Argentina and 2/14 from 12 overs in the semi-final against Canada.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/39/39193.html Argentina v Bermuda], ICC Trophy 1979 (Semi-Final) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/39/39233.html Bermuda v Canada], ICC Trophy 1979 (Semi-Final) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. For the 1982 ICC Trophy, Blades was named Bermuda's captain, aged 37. He finished the tournament as the overall leading run-scorer, making 310 runs from eight matches (including innings of 69 not out against Papua New Guinea and 82 not out against West Africa).[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/ICC_Trophy_1982/Batting_by_Runs.html Batting and fielding in ICC Trophy 1982 (ordered by runs)] – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016. Bermuda made the tournament's final for the first and only time, but lost to Zimbabwe, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 1983 World Cup.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/42/42598.html Bermuda v Zimbabwe], ICC Trophy 1982 (Final) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 February 2016.