A TRULY REMARKABLE ALLROUNDER & CLUB CAPTAIN FOR 10 SEASONS
A TRULY REMARKABLE ALLROUNDER & CLUB CAPTAIN FOR 10 SEASONSBorn in 1929, Brian Blight’s involvement with the Wistow Cricket Club began in 1938 when, as a nine (9) year old boy, he would “fill in” at times to make up the XI. After World War II and on returning home from college for season 1946/47 he immediately emerged as a permanent ‘A’ Grade player at age 17. He excelled as a player for the next 28 seasons, ending his outstanding career at the end of the 1974/75 season at age 46 having spent a couple of seasons playing ‘B’ Grade with his sons, Ian and Trevor.
Brian was a good all-round cricketer; an excellent fielder, a stylish left-handed batter and also a polished wicketkeeper; but his greatest strength was his consistent wicket-taking as a leg spin bowler. At least eleven (11) centuries were made during his career, his first as a 20 year old and his last in ‘B’ Grade at age 46. His best performance in a match was 113* and 6/40, including a hat-trick, against Callington in 1953.
Association matches were played only on a limited scale during Brian’s career so Country Carnivals were an arena for association participation. Brian was first selected in 1952 and played until 1974. Together with the inception of the Meyer Shield in 1964/65, in which he also played, he stood as captain in several association matches. Wistow elected him as Club Captain firstly in 1948 and for a total of 10 seasons in all, including two ‘A’ Grade premierships. Win or lose, his composure and good sportsmanship were always evident.
Brian was always involved in WCC administration, starting as Club Secretary/Treasurer in 1946/47 immediately upon the WCC’s reformation at the conclusion of WWII (at age 17). He served in all positions over the years, including as WCC President from 1964/65 to 1966/67 (the club won the ‘A’ Grade Premiership in every season of his Presidency) and was granted Life Membership in 1965.
Brian won the ‘A’ Grade Batting Aggregate on fourteen (14) occasions and the Average nine (9) times as well as the B Grade Batting Aggregate & Average on one (1) occasion; his best seasons with the bat came in 1959/60 and 1960/61 when he scored 663 and 589 runs in back-to-back seasons – across those two seasons he scored a total of nine (9) half-centuries and three (3) centuries. His 663 runs in 1959/60 is the 5th most in a single season in any grade in club history.
With the ball, he won the ‘A’ Grade Bowling Aggregate on at least eight (8) occasions and the Average five (5) times, taking over 30 wickets in a season on at least nine (9) occasions, with a best of 50 wickets in 1954/55 (the 2nd most in club history in a single season). He also led the ‘A’ Grade in Most Dismissals on at least nine (9) occasions, his frequent role as wicketkeeper almost certainly reducing the number of wickets he could have otherwise taken.
Brian passed away in 2017 at age 88.
HONOUR BOARD
260 Matches Played (6th most in WCC history – all two dayers, 249 matches in ‘A’ Grade)
7,899 runs (2nd most in WCC history, most in ‘A’ Grade) @ 30.38 including 38 half-centuries (1st) and 11 centuries (T-2nd)
609 wickets (1st in WCC history, 140 more than 2nd) @ 13.29 (5th lowest bowling ave in WCC history) including 31 5FA’s (1st), two (2) 10FA’s and three (3) hat-tricks
171 catches (2nd most in WCC history) and 7 stumpings
WCC Life Member – Awarded in 1965
1 x Blight Perpetual Trophy as Clubperson of the Year (1994/95)
3 x WCC President (1964/65-66/67)
2 x WCC Vice President (1962/63-63/34)
1 x WCC Secretary/Treasurer (1946/47 – probably more, records unavailable for 1947-62)
2 x ‘A’ Grade Premiership Captain (1951/52 & 63/64)
7 x ‘A’ Grade Premiership Player (1951/52 (took 5/89), 58/59, 60/61, 63/64 (made 26 and took 3/28), 64/65, 65/66 & 66/67 (took 3/27))
1 x MtBDCA Best Allrounder (1948/49)
1948/49 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate – 188 runs **stats are incomplete for this season**
1949/50 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate – 202 runs
1950/51 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 378 runs @ 47.25 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1951/52 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 252 runs @ 36.43 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1952/53 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 242 runs @ 26.89 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1953/54 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate – 167 runs **stats are incomplete for this season**
1954/55 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 331 runs @ 33.10 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1955/56 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 306 runs @ 38.25 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1957/58 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate – 361 runs
1959/60 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 663 runs @ 55.25
1960/61 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 589 runs @ 45.31
1962/63 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 396 runs @ 33.00
1964/65 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate – 328 runs
1967/68 ‘A’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 398 runs @ 66.33
1971/72 ‘B’ Grade Batting – Aggregate & Average – 401 runs @ 57.29
1946/47 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 30 wickets @ 8.47 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1947/48 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 35 wickets @ 13.31
1948/49 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 15 wickets **stats are incomplete for this season**
1954/55 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 50 wickets @ 7.28 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1955/56 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate & Average – 35 wickets @ 9.94 **stats are incomplete for this season**
1957/58 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 40 wickets
1959/60 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 34 wickets
1960/61 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Aggregate – 45 wickets
1962/63 ‘A’ Grade Bowling – Average – 10.38 (13 wickets)