Robin Marlar

Robin Geoffrey Marlar (born 2 January 1931 in Eastbourne, Sussex) was an English cricketer and cricket journalist. He was educated at Harrow School and Magdalene College, Cambridge.[1]

Robin Marlar

Personal information
Full name	Robin Geoffrey Marlar
Born	1 February 1931 Eastbourne, Sussex, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off-spin
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1951–1953	Cambridge University
1951–1968	Sussex
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 289 Runs scored 3033 Batting average 9.72 100s/50s 0/2 Top score 64 Balls bowled 54,450 Wickets 970 Bowling average 25.22 5 wickets in innings 66 10 wickets in match 15 Best bowling 9/46 Catches/stumpings 137/–
Source: Cricket Archive, 6 February 2014

Marlar played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, winning a blue in 1951, 1952 and 1953 (when he captained Cambridge to victory over Oxford),[2] 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.[3] 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).[4]

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.[5] 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.[6][7]

References

1. MARLAR, Robin Geoffrey, Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, 2017 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2016)
2. Wisden 1954, pp. 285-87.
3. http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/17328.html
4. Wisden 1980, p. 1222.
5. Newbury by-election 1993
6. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1524663/Cricket-girls-defy-their-MCC-critic.html
7. https://www.oldbrightonians.com/news/notable-obs/sport/54-sport/cricket/406-absurd-old-fashioned-and-patronising.html

External links

• Robin Marlar at Cricket Archive