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Bob Blair, former New Zealand fast bowler, has passed away on his 94th birthday in England. He had been the fifth-oldest living Test cricketer.
Blair played 19 Tests between 1953 and 1964, and took 43 wickets at an average of 35.23.
He is best known for his remarkable ten minutes at the crease during the 1953 Test against South Africa in Johannesberg under the most tragic circumstances.
Bob Blair and the 1953 Tangiwai disaster
Playing in the second Test at Ellis Park, the 21-year-old Blair learnt in the early hours of the second morning that his fiancée, Nerissa Love, was one of the 151 killed in the Tangiwai rail accident on Christmas Eve.
The horrifying tragedy occurred at 10:21 p.m. on December 24, 1953, when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River collapsed beneath an express passenger train at Tangiwai, New Zealand.
He initially stayed back at the team hotel to grieve but showed up for the team after New Zealand's ninth wicket and joined a bloodied Bert Sutcliffe, who had earlier gone to hospital after taking numerous blows while batting.
Sucliffe had taken a nasty bouncer to the head from South Africa's Neil Adcock, and the blow had left him bleeding from a split in his ear.
The pair added 33 runs for the 10th wicket before Blair was dismissed for six.
New Zealand cricket team reacts to Bob Blair's death
Announcing the heartbreaking news, Black Caps penned on their social media, "Bob Blair, whose courage in the face of unimaginable grief became one of New Zealand sport's most enduring stories, has passed away in England on his 94th birthday."
About Tangiwai Shield
Since 2024, Test series between New Zealand and South Africa have been played for the Tangiwai Shield, which commemorates the 1953 tragedy.
"The story of Bob Blair and the Tangiwai rail disaster has left an indelible mark on cricket in both New Zealand and South Africa," NZC's interim chief executive, Graham Parks, said in a statement.
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He added, "The courage and camaraderie shown during the second Test in South Africa in 1953 and in the years that followed epitomise everything that is great about sport."
"To have been able to honour that inspirational story with the introduction of the Tangiwai Shield in 2024 was both poignant and will ensure the legacy of Bob Blair lives on."
The trophy, as described by NZC, was crafted from New Zealand native pūriri timber and pounamu sourced from the Tangiwai region to commemorate the bond forged between the two nations through the Tangiwai rail disaster.
Blair was the last surviving New Zealand player from that Test.
Bob Blair's cricket career
Bob Blair enjoyed a solid career with 537 wickets at an average of 18.54 in 119 matches played predominantly for Wellington and one season for Central Districts.
After his playing days ended in 1964, Blair moved to coaching, working with clubs and associations in Queensland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Northern Ireland, and England.
Blair later settled in Cheshire, England, with his wife Barbara, whom he married in 1986.
New Zealand players will wear black arm bands for the first day of the third Test against England in Nottingham on Thursday to honour Bob Blair.
