Famous Cricketers No 67 - Ivo Bligh

14. Kent v Surrey, Maidstone, July 29, 30 (Kent won by ten wickets) run out 30 333 187 1 did not bat - 28-0 171 15. Kent XIII v England, Canterbury, August 5, 6, 7 (Kent XIII won by eight wickets) c A.W.Ridley b W.G.Grace 16 294 192 not out 1 73-4 174 16. Kent v M.C.C, Canterbury, August 7, 8, 9 (Kent won by nine wickets) (twelve-a-side) b F.Morley 19 216 109 1 did not bat - 20-2 126 1 17. Kent v Surrey, Kennington Oval, August 19, 20, 21 (Match drawn) st E.W.Pooley b E.Barratt 1 211 159 1 c J.Southerton b E.Barratt 60 244 99-5 1 18. Kent v Lancashire, Town Malling, August 22, 23 (Lancahire won by an innings and 56 runs) b W.McIntyre 14 139 262 1 c O.P.Lancashire b A.Watson 5 67 19. Kent v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, August 29, 30, 31 (Match drawn) b A.Shaw 29 94 186 b A.Shaw 0 74-8 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Cambridge University 7 9 1 112 37 14.00 - - 1 Kent 10 16 1 263 60 17.53 - 1 11 Season 17 25 2 375 60 16.30 - 1 12 Career 19 28 2 395 60 15.19 - 1 12 1879 The season followed the pattern of 1878 so far as Bligh’s cricket career was concerned. He scored his maiden first-class century for Cambridge against Surrey. According to the reports he gave only one chance in scoring an unbeaten 113 and hit ten fours. The next highest individual innings in the whole game was 37 and apart from Bligh only one University batsman reached 20. Directly after the University game at Lord’s, Bligh was picked for the Gentlemen v Players fixture at The Oval. The Gentlemen’s side was exceedingly strong that year and Bligh batted at number 10 - thus having very little opportunity to prove his worth. More especially so when the amateurs won by an innings. Bligh was not selected for the return game at Lord’s but did play later in the month for Under 30s v Over 30s at headquarters. The game was originally arranged as a benefit for W.G.Grace, but because Alfred Shaw’s earlier benefit had been ruined by rain, Grace agreed that this game ought to be played for Shaw. The rain again ruined the attendance. Bligh was honoured to appear, because, as Wisden noted “Two exceedingly good teams had been selected.” The wickets were made very difficult by the rain - no individual fifties were recorded, so Bligh’s contributions of 7 and 3 were not out of place. The 1879 Kent side suffered a decline in fortune compared with the two previous summers. Only two games were won and the absence of Lord Harris from half the fixtures clearly affected the team. At the end of the summer Bligh played in the two Scarborough Festival matches. Wisden’s Almanack did not bother with these games (though it managed five pages on ‘Cricket on Ice’). Lillywhite’s Companion however features the Gentlemen of North v Gentlemen of South match, describing it as “a first-rate display of cricket”. Bligh hit 33 and 55 off a fully representative Northern attack. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 20. Cambridge University v England XI, Fenner’s, May (15), 16, 17 (Cambridge University won by four wickets) c H.E.Rhodes b T.Emmett 0 155 121 not out 20 72-6 104 21. Cambridge University v M.C.C., Fenner’s, May 22, (23), 24 (Cambridge University won by an innings and 78 runs) c A.Shaw b W.Barnes 40 231 95 1 58 9