Robin Marlar
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Robin Geoffrey Marlar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Eastbourne, Sussex, England | 2 January 1931||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 30 September 2022 Epsom, Surrey, England | (aged 91)||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm off-spin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1951–1953 | Cambridge University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1951–1968 | Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Cricket Archive, 6 February 2014 |
Robin Geoffrey Marlar (2 January 1931 - 30 September 2022[1]) was an English cricketer and cricket journalist. He was educated at Harrow School and Magdalene College, Cambridge.[2]
Marlar played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, winning a blue in 1951, 1952 and 1953 (when he captained Cambridge to victory over Oxford),[3] and for Sussex between 1951 and 1968. An innovative off-break bowler, he took 970 wickets in 289 matches at an average of 25.22, with a personal best of 9/46 against Lancashire at Hove in 1955. He was a "shrewd and skilful" captain of Sussex between 1955 and 1959.[4] He remains one of only five native-born cricketers to hold this post.
He had a successful journalistic career as an outspoken cricket correspondent of The Sunday Times, and wrote the illustrated history The Story of Cricket (1979).[5]
Marlar stood as a Conservative candidate for Bolsover in the 1959 General Election, and in a 1962 by-election at Leicester North East. Decades later he was a candidate at the 1993 Newbury by-election.[6] He was appointed as the President of Sussex County Cricket Club for 2005 and President of MCC for 2005-06. During this time he incurred some controversy when, on a declaration to the Sunday Telegraph, he described it as "absolutely outrageous" that female athletes play cricket with male athletes, in response to Holly Colvin and Sarah Taylor, who had both played for England, being chosen to play for Brighton College's First XI that summer.[7][8]
References
- ^ ""Remembering Robin Marlar 1931-2022"". Sussex Cricket. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ MARLAR, Robin Geoffrey, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, 2017 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2016)
- ^ Wisden 1954, pp. 285-87.
- ^ "Robin Marlar profile and biography, stats, records, averages, photos and videos". ESPNcricinfo.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ Wisden 1980, p. 1222.
- ^ "By Elections - News website specialising in political pieces". By-elections.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ "Cricket girls defy their MCC critic". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ ""Absurd, old-fashioned and patronising" - Robin Marlar Incurred the wrath of Claire Connor". Old Brightonians - The Alumni of Brighton College. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
External links
- 1931 births
- 2022 deaths
- People educated at Harrow School
- Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge
- English cricketers
- English male journalists
- Referendum Party politicians
- Sussex cricketers
- Sussex cricket captains
- Cambridge University cricketers
- Presidents of the Marylebone Cricket Club
- The Sunday Times people
- Gentlemen cricketers
- Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
- Gentlemen of England cricketers
- Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
- British sportsperson-politicians
- English cricket biography, 1930s birth stubs