Cyril Bland

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Cyril Herbert George Bland
Born 23 May 1872(1872-05-23)
Old Leake, Lincolnshire
Died 1 July 1950(1950-07-01) (aged 78)
Maud Foster Drain, Cowbridge, Lincolnshire
Cause of death Drowning (suicide)
Nationality British
Education Boston Grammar School
Occupation Cricketer
Years active 1897-1904 (first class career)
Home town Boston

Cyril Bland (23 May 1872 - 1 July 1950) was a first class cricketer, playing for Sussex.

Bland was born at Old Leake, near Boston, Lincolnshire. As a cricketer he was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. In his first class career, which was from 1897 to 1904, he played for Sussex.

He committed suicide on 1 July 1950, drowning in the Maud Foster Drain at Cowbridge, near Boston, Lincolnshire.

Sporting Performance

Batting and fielding averages

Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 Ct St
First-class 147 190 35 998 59 6.43 0 80 0

Bowling averages

Mat Balls Runs Wkts BBI Ave Econ SR 5w 10
First-class 147 27548 13524 557 10/48 24.28 2.94 49.4 44 11

Cyril HG Bland was, and still is, the only Sussex player to take all ten wickets for that county; that was in 1899 (10 for 48 v Kent at Tonbridge - Sussex won by 112 runs after following-on). He took 108 wickets that year with his fast bowling including WG Grace (once) having dismissed him twice fairly cheaply in 1898 when he took 82 wickets (108 in 1900). He took about 550 wickets between 1897 and 1904, even having Plum Warner stumped! Grace and Bland both represented South v North at Lords in 1900. KS Ranjitsinji and CB Fry were prolific runscorers in the Sussex side at that time - Cyril was not, no doubt exhausted after bowling even up to 52 overs (3 for 207) in one innings. An Australian Commission has today suggested no more than 20 to 30 overs per WEEK for fast bowlers. He chose a team of Blands (himself with sons Harold, Jack and Frank plus one or two daughters and others, all good cricketers) to play in Central Park (Boston) around 1937.

He and his sons all bowled with their (right) bowling arm swinging from behind their back. When I asked him for the reason he said it was to conceal the ball from the batsman although his hands seemed so cavernous that it wasnt really necessary. I wonder if grandson Dick and other descendants had this unusual action - not often seen now. I think that Ranji took him to India for at least one winter. To my knowledge he is still the only Bostonian who has played First Class cricket - certainly none has achieved the standard of Cyril Herbert George Bland.