A warrior who does not leave the field even after the death of his wife; He breathed his last on his birthday, the legendary cricketer passed away

• Mourning in the cricket world
• He took his last breath on his birthday
• This legendary cricketer passed away

Former New Zealand fast bowler Bob Blair died in England at the age of 94. He died on June 23, his birthday. His name was known in world cricket not only for his fast bowling, but also for his bravery, sportsmanship and one of the most daring innings of cricket played under extreme conditions in the history of the game. Blair played 19 Tests for New Zealand between 1953 and 1964 and took 43 wickets at an average of 35.23. But, more than his bowling, he will be remembered more for an incident during the Johannesburg Test in December 1953. When he came in to bat at number 11 in very difficult conditions and stayed on the pitch for ten minutes.

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A warrior who does not leave the field even after the death of his wife

In 1953, the New Zealand team was touring South Africa. The second Test match was played at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. On the second day of that Test, Boxing Day, the New Zealand players were informed of a horrific incident. The incident occurred on the night of December 24 at Tangiwai, where a railway bridge collapsed under an express train traveling from Wellington to Auckland. Blair’s future wife, Nerissa Love, was among the 151 people killed in the disaster. Blair, then 21, stayed at the team hotel to express his grief, but when New Zealand’s ninth wicket fell and everyone in the field thought the innings was over, he came to the crease. At the crease was Burt Sutcliffe, who returned to the crease after retiring earlier due to injury. He was hit on the head by a dangerous bouncer from South African fast bowler Neil Adcock, which injured his ear and left him bleeding.

Sutcliffe scored an unbeaten 80 with seven sixes, most of which he hit on his famous ‘hook’ shot. Blair added 33 runs for the 10th wicket with him and was out for 6 runs. The memory of that tragic and heartbreaking day lives on in the form of the ‘Tangiwai Shield’, which is now awarded to the team that wins the Test series between New Zealand and South Africa. New Zealand currently hold the shield after winning the first edition of the series in 2023-24.

Bob Blair’s Cricket Career

Bob Blair played 19 Tests for New Zealand between 1953 and 1964 and took 43 wickets. His best performance was 7 wickets for 142 runs, which he took against South Africa in his last Test match. He was a lethal bowler in domestic cricket while playing for Wellington. He took 537 wickets in 119 first-class matches. In his best season (1956–57), he took 46 wickets at an average of just 9.

The story will live forever

This extraordinary and touching story by Bob Blair has been the subject of books, plays and the popular New Zealand film ‘Tangiwai: A Love Story’. To honor this historic sporting spirit, in 2024 New Zealand Cricket and Cricket South Africa jointly named the trophy for the Test series between the two countries as the ‘Tangiwai Shield’. Not only this, in honor of his death, the New Zealand team will wear a black armband in the next Test match against England.

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