VETERAN CRICKETER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20639, 30 January 1937, Page 16

VETERAN CRICKETER

REV. E. O. BLAMIRES’ SUCCESS Like Peter Pan, the Rev. E. O. Blamires, who has probably played cricket in more centres in the Dominion than any other player, absolutely refuses to grow up (writes "Burwood" in the ‘Dominion’). Now 55 years of age, his zest for cricket is as keen as ever, and his ability as a batsman has diminished little, if at all. He proved this when he scored a century in each innings for Kilburnie against Wellington in the match in the junior B2 grade, which concluded on the Kilbirnie Recreation Ground on Saturday. The match commenced on December 19, and Blamires hit up 138, including one 6 and 21 4’s. In the second innings on Saturday last, the sporting parson scored 106, finding the boundary 20 times. Born in Australia, Mr Blamires was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, and a school mate of his, Nicholson, played on the same side in the match which ended on Saturday, and' rendered good service by scoring 31, when two wickets had fallen for no runs. The Rev. Mr Blamires came to New Zealand when 22 years of age, and brought his Australian love for cricket with him to this country. A Methodist minister, he was first stationed in Dunedin, and soon won a place in the Otago representative eleven. He returned to Otago some years later, and captained the representative team from 1924-25 until 1928-29, leading the side when Otago first won te Plunket Shield in the 1925-26 season. Helped to Discover Grimmett Blamires had a hand in giving Clarrie Grimmet his first chance in first-class cricket, as he was co-selecter for Wellington with K. H. Tucker and the late J. P. Blacklock, when they decided to give young Grimmett a place in the Wellington team. Blamires, as he was transferred about the Dominion to different circuits, represented Taranaki, Waikato, and Wairarapa at cricket, and scored many centuries in representative games. He hit up three centuries for Otago—l33 v. Canterbury, at Christchurch, in 1924; 117 v. Wellington, at the Basin Reserve, in 1926; and 100 (retired) v. Southland, at Dunedin, in the same year. Good innings for Otago against New South Wales at Dunedin of 33 (run out) and 67 (stumped), gained him a place in the New Zealand team against the tourists in 1924 in the second test match at Wellington. This was the disastrous game in which New Zealand was dismissed for 89 and 79, and New South Wales won by an innings and 126 runs. Blamires and R. de R. Worker both secured a pair of spectacles in this match, and J. S. Hiddleston, K. C. James, C. C. Dacre, M. Henderson and D. J. M'Beath, also collected duck eggs. Merritt’s Advent Tile Rev. Mr Blamires also had a hand in getting W. E. Merritt, the youthful Canterbury googly bowler, into the New Zealand team which toured England in 1931. Merritt bowled particularly well for Canterbury against Otago in one match, and Blunt and Blamires had to treat him with respect, the colt eventually dismissing Blamires lbw. Frank Williams of Dunedin, one of the then New Zealand selectors, said to Blamires on his return to the pavilion: “You two seemed to be playing that boy very carefully.” “Frank,” replied Blamires, “that boy is a very fine bowler.” “Is he as good as all that?” queried Williams. “I have played against Arthur Malley, and I would rather face Mailey than this boy.” replied the Otago captain. This impressed Williams. Further trials were given young Merritt, with the result that, though still in his ’teens, he packed his kit, and sailed away to earn international recognition as a first-flight slow spin bowler. The Rev. M. Blamires, in his travels throughout the Dominion for the Methodist Church, did good service for cricket by bringing to the notice of the New Zealand selectors promising players in the provincial districts. It was owing to a letter Mr Blamires sent to the Press that C. A. Holland, of Wanganui, and L. M'Mahon gained places in the New Zealand team in the second test match against the Australian team at Auckland in 1914. The veteran’s success in scoring a century in each innings at the age of 55 was very popular, and his many friends throughout the Dominion will wish him many more three-figure scores before he lays his bat aside.