Emmanuel Blamires
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Emmanuel Blamires was a first class cricketer who appeared in one match for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and 32 for Surrey County Cricket Club between 1877 and 1881.
The wonderfully named cricketer was born on July 31, 1850 in Bradford where he died on March 22, 1886 at the tragically young age of 35, just four years after his last first class appearance. He was given the splendid name Nimrod Blamires at birth. He was a left handed tail end batsman and left arm fast bowler with a round arm action.
In 36 first class games he took an impressive 137 wickets at just 20.02 with a best of 8 for 77 against Kent. Other notable bowling performances for Surrey include his haul of 7 for 59 against Gloucestershire and 6 for 98 against Middlesex. He also scored 440 runs at 9.56 with a best of 31.
He was a warehouseman in Bradford by trade but was also engaged as a professional cricketer in 1871-72 at the Albion Club, Bradford, then in 1873 at Burnley and in 1874 and 1875 at Dalton, Huddersfield. In 1876 he was at Low Moor, near Bradford and in 1877 he was given a game by Yorkshire v Middlesex at Lord’s in which he took 5 wickets as Yorkshire won by 35 runs.
He was then engaged by Surrey at The Oval and once he had qualified by residence he played for his new county in 32 matches between 1878 and 1881.
He also appeared for the Players against the Gentlemen, the South of England and for an England XI in first class games. He appeared in at least 4 matches for Surrey Club and Ground in non first class fixtures, three times against South Wales Cricket Club and once against the Gentlemen of Canada.
In the 1881 Census he is shown as resident at 15 William Street, Lambeth, Surrey, aged 31 and employed as "a cricket ground man". He lived with his wife Anne, aged 30, born in Bradford, his daughters Mary E., aged 8 and Harriet, aged 1, and his son David A., aged 5. Frances Ward, aged 57, widowed mother (presumably of Anne), from Wakefield also lived in the home.
In 1882 he was back in Yorkshire and a professional club cricketer at Manningham, in Bradford. He died of consumption at the White Abbey Hotel, Bradford, and was buried in the Scholemoor Cemetery, near the town.
