R. C. Blunt Was Great N.Z. Cricketer

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31098, 29 June 1966, Page 10

R. C. Blunt Was Great N.Z. Cricketer

Years ago Mr Neville Cardus recalled his horror at the discovery of an English county player called Gaukrodger. Such a name, he felt, was impossible for a cricketer, and that someone so labelled should have made runs against his beloved Lancashire was outrageous and absurd. By the same token Blunt should never have been what he was. The name suggests square-toed boots, a blue serge suit, close-cropped hair and a turn of phrase designed to keep the factory hands in their place. But among New Zealand cricketers, the word has, by association, a completely different meaning. For Roger Blunt was among the most graceful as well as successful batsmen New Zealand has been proud to own. Thus began a pen portrait of the New Zealand cricketer, R. C. Blunt, published a few years ago. Blunt died in London this week and for a generation of New Zealand cricketers a light has gone out. Np-one could have looked the part better than Blunt. He was slim, fine of feature, immaculate, graceful. He never seemed to exert himself in the slightest, yet rarely scored at anything but a brisk pace. His stroke production was always easy, always elegant, and his cricket seemed to carry something of his shyness when he was a little boy

at Christ’s College. He was more persuasive than assertive, but as an all-rounder he ranks among the best New Zealand has ever produced. Blunt played for Canterbury when barely 17 years of age, and still at college where, with T. W. C. Tothill, he shared a record firstwicket stand of 214—in 110 minutes against Christchurch Boys’ High School before going on to a personal double century. From the start of his representative career, he took wickets readily with his wellcontrolled leg-breaks. In club cricket, Blunt set a record by hitting seven sixes into the Hagley Park trees in one eight-ball over. For Canterbury,’ later for Otago, and for New Zealand, he did some astonishing things—and it was very rarely that his innings were not little masterpieces of cultured cricket —or long ones.

For Canterbury, when but a youngster, he ’made 174 and shared a double-century opening stand with R. de R. Worker against a strong M.C.C. team, and a few years later he scored three consecutive centuries for New Zealand against the Melbourne Cricket Club. These were not regarded as firstclass matches, but the opposition most certainly was. Armstrong, Ransford and Ebeling were among the tourists.

Blunt was the outstanding all-rounder of New Zealand's first English tour in 1927 and he was again a great success on the second tour, in 1931. Playing for Otago, he set a New Zealand record in 1931-32 by making 338 not out and it was an as tonishing display. Otago finished the first innings of the match more than 300 in arrears, but Blunt and the dashing, debonair F. T. Badcock set about the bowling. In two hours, Otago scored 211, and Blunt was at his century in only 115 minutes. He went on an on, and he was 192 when the little wicket-keeper, W. Hawksworth, came in at number eleven. While Hawksworth held on gallantly, Blunt raised the tempo of his attack still further and at the end, he was 338 in 335 minutes: the last-wicket stand of 184 is still a New Zealand record. New Zealand cricket lost Blunt when-he was but 33.

He went to England for a business career, and remained. He was a great player. His career brought him just on 8000 runs at an average of 41, and it is significant that he should in his 77 appearances for New Zealand, have averaged almost 40. Blunt played 123 firstclass matches, and took 214 wickets. It doesn’t seem many, when he loomed so large in New Zealand cricket and gave such pleasure to so many.