A NOTED CRICKETER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 32

A NOTED CRICKETER.

R. C. BLUNT’S RECORD. The Christchurch Star makes the following comments on the career of R. Blunt, the well-known batsman, who will shortly take up his residence in Dunedin: Since Blunt started playing senior cricket in the ’917-18 season, he has scored 8804 runs in 197 innings, his average being 46.82. He ranks as one of the best batsmen New Zealand has produced, and, as he has years of cricket ahead of him yet, it is pretty safe to predict that he will establish a »ecord of scores that may never be overhauled. His delightful exhibitions have pleased cricket enthusiasts in all parts of New Zealand and Australia, and next year he will have the opportunity of showing the English public what a really fine batsmen he is. Otago will be rejoicing at the fact that that province is to get the great Canterbury batsman Canterbury will seek some consolation in the fact that Blunt is to remain in the South Island, and, seeing that up till the last year or so Otago have been the weakest of the four provinces in the Plunket Shield matches, it will be for the betterment of the game generally if the southerners, with the assistance of Blunt, have a run of successes in these big games. Competition for Blunt has al ready commenced between the Dunedin clubs. • He received requests from more than one quarter as soon as the news of his transfer was broadcasted Blunt would like to be associated once more with Worker. This pair put up some finest first wicket partnerships / for the West Christchurch senior team, for Canterbury, and for New Zealand. Worker plays for the Carisbrook Club in Dunedin, which is the strongest there; and. as Blunt is a little diffident about joining the strongest club, it may be that he will be found assisting one of the lame dogs. [Carisbrook was last of the four teams in the senior competition last season.l It was in the 1914-15 season, when Blunt was only 14 years of age. and a member of the Christ’s College first eleven, that he first came intQ prominence on the cricket field. Bowling was his forte in those day 9. In that particular season he captured 51 wickets for 550 runs, an average of 10.78. The following season he took 87 wickets for 905 runs, an average of 10.51. The 1916-17 season saw him blossom out, into an all-rounder. He took 42 wickets for 664 runs (average 15.80), and scored 370 runs in 16 innings (average 20.12). In the 1917-18 season he cap- ■ tured 70 wickets for 773 runs (Average 11.04), and in 16 innings scored 842 runs (average 52.62). He left collesre at the end of the school year in 1918, having made 435 runs in Gve innings, an average of 87. Playing against Boys’ High School in 1917, Blunt and T. W. Tqfhill established a first wicket partnership of 214. In that match College scored 601 for eight wickets. Blunt made 204 and Tofchill 100. In the last four seasons Blunt has passed the 1000 mark his most prolific season being 1924-25, when his total reacehd 1300 runs. Since commencing in senior cricket in 1917, Blunt has scored 17 centuries in club games, as follows:—2o4, 110, 187, 150, 112, 110, 105 not out, 102, 226, 147, not out, 103, 131, 101, 200, 110, 160, 184. In repreentative games his record reads as follows—l 37 not out, for Canterbury v % Wellington, 1919-20: 116, for Canterbury v. Wellington, 1922-23; 174, for Canterbury v. M.C.C., 1922-23; 104 for Canterbury v. Auckland, 192324; 216 for'New Zealand v. Goulburn, 1925-26. In the match between Canterbury and Maclaren’s team in 1922-23, Blunt and Worker established a first-wicket partnership of 208. Blunt made 174 and Worker 65. The following figures relating to Blunt’s averages season by season will give some idea of what a great and consistent run-getter he has been:— CLUB MATCHES.

60 3 2135 37.46 N.Z. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. Innings, 29; not out, 0; total, 1004; average, 34.62. TOTAL MATCHES. Innings, 197; not out, 9; total, 3804; average, 46.82.

Season. Innings. N.O. Total. Average. 191718 15 0 532 35.47 1918-19 8 0 510 64.5 1919-20 11 1 345 34.5 ■*920-21 12 0 624 52.0 1921-22 15 1 572 40.85 1922-23 12 1 630 57.27 1923-24 13 2 895 81.36 1924-25 11 0 1071 97.36 1925-26 11 1 480 48.0 108 6 5665 55.52 CANTERBURY REP. MATCHES. Season. Innings. N.O. Total. Average. 1917-18 7 0 162 23.14 1918-19 3 0 115 38.33 1919-20 8 2 441 ' 73.5 1920-21 10 0 218 21.8 1921-22 8 0 228 28.5 1922-23 7 1 466 77.66 1923-24 8 0 276 34.5 1924-25 9 0 229 25.43