Bruce Bolton

Bruce Alfred Bolton (born 31 May 1935, Christchurch, Canterbury) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in two Tests in 1958-59.

Bolton was a right-handed opening batsman and a useful leg-spin bowler who played for almost 10 years for Canterbury in New Zealand domestic cricket and then, after a year's break, for a further five seasons for Wellington.

Up to 1958, Bolton had a fairly undistinguished batting record in first-class cricket, but in the first two Canterbury matches of the 1958-59 season he made 79 and 74 and those innings helped put him into the New Zealand cricket team for the two Tests against the touring England team.

In the first match, which New Zealand lost by an innings, Bolton did well, scoring 33 in the first innings, when he was sixth man out, and 26 in the second innings. In his second Test, he was run out for 0 in a match that was ended after two days because of rain. He did not bowl in either of his two Tests.

Bolton's one first-class century came the following season, with 138 against Northern Districts, when he shared a first-wicket stand of 214 with future Test captain Graham Dowling. His career best bowling came two seasons later, in 1961-62, with 7-23 against Central Districts, in a season when he took only eight wickets in all matches.

For Wellington later in his career, he batted further down the order and in 1969-70 he captained the side.

External links

• Bruce Bolton at Cricket Archive
• Bruce Bolton at Cricinfo