{{short description|West Indian cricketer (1931–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Bruce Pairaudeau | image = B Pairaudeau 1962-63.jpg | caption = Pairaudeau in 1963 | imagesize = 150px | fullname = Bruce Hamilton Pairaudeau | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|4|13|df=yes}} | birth_place = Georgetown, British Guiana | death_date = {{death date and age|2022|10|9|1931|4|13|df=yes}} | death_place = New Zealand | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Legbreak googly | club1 = British Guiana | year1 = {{nowrap|1946/47–1957/58}} | club2 = Northern Districts | year2 = 1958/59–1966/67 | columns = 2 | column1 = Test | matches1 = 13 | runs1 = 454 | bat avg1 = 21.61 | 100s/50s1 = 1/3 | top score1 = 115 | deliveries1 = 6 | wickets1 = 0 | bowl avg1 = – | fivefor1 = – | tenfor1 = – | best bowling1 = – | catches/stumpings1= 6/– | column2 = First-class | matches2 = 89 | runs2 = 4,930 | bat avg2 = 32.01 | 100s/50s2 = 11/25 | top score2 = 163 | deliveries2 = 76 | wickets2 = 0 | bowl avg2 = – | fivefor2 = – | tenfor2 = – | best bowling2 = – | catches/stumpings2= 64/– | international = true | country = West Indies | testdebutagainst = India | testdebutdate = 21 January | testdebutyear = 1953 | lasttestagainst = England | lasttestdate = 25 July | lasttestyear = 1957 | source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/52669.html Cricinfo | date = 17 October | year = 2022 }}

'''Bruce Hamilton Pairaudeau''' (14 April 1931 – 9 October 2022) was a West Indian cricketer who played in 13 Test matches between 1953 and 1957. Born in British Guiana, he moved to New Zealand in the late 1950s.

==Early life== Pairaudeau was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on 14 April 1931.<ref name="ESPN bio">{{cite web|title=Bruce Pairaudeau profile and biography, stats, records, averages, photos and videos|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/bruce-pairaudeau-52669|first=Martin|last=Williamson|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|work=ESPN Cricinfo|access-date=13 October 2022}}</ref> He was picked for his first first-class match for British Guiana before his 16th birthday, before scoring a century in his third match aged 16 years and five months.<ref name="Stuff obit">{{cite news|title=Cricket: Former West Indies and North Districts batsman Bruce Pairaudeau dies, aged 91|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/300711827/cricket-former-west-indies-and-north-districts-batsman-bruce-pairaudeau-dies-aged-91|date=13 October 2022|publisher=Stuff|access-date=13 October 2022}}</ref> However, opportunities for first-class cricket were rare in West Indian cricket at this stage, and Pairaudeau went to England in 1950 to play Lancashire League cricket with Burnley.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Shorter Wisden 2016: The Best Writing from Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJMMjvPH2FsC&pg=PA113|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|date=14 April 2016|last=Booth|first=Lawrence|isbn=9781472935229}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bruce Pairaudeau: Frenchman who scored hundred on West Indies debut and led a side to Plunket Shield|url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/bruce-pairaudeau-frenchman-who-scored-hundred-on-west-indies-debut-and-led-a-side-to-plunket-shield-125226|first=Abhishek|last=Mukherjee|date=2 November 2016|publisher=Cricket Country|access-date=13 October 2022}}</ref>

==West Indian career== In late 1952, Pairaudeau returned to British Guiana and did well enough in two first-class matches to be drafted into the team for the First Test against India in January 1953. Batting at No 6, Pairaudeau scored 115 and put on 219 for the fifth wicket with Everton Weekes.<ref>{{cite web |title=1st Test, Port of Spain, Jan 21–28 1953, India tour of West Indies |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/17451/scorecard/62751 |website=Cricinfo |accessdate=3 November 2020}}</ref> For the remaining four Tests in the series he was promoted to open the innings and, though he made only one score of more than 50, he finished the series with 257 runs at an average of more than 32.<ref name="ESPN bio"/>

The following winter against the England tourists, though, Pairaudeau was picked for only two of the Tests, scoring 71 in the second match but failing in the fourth.<ref>R. J. Hayter, "The M.C.C. Team in West Indies, 1953–54", ''Wisden'' 1955, pp. 762–85.</ref> When the Australians toured in 1954–55, he was not chosen at all.<ref>"Australians in West Indies, 1955", ''Wisden'' 1956, pp. 861–77.</ref>

Pairaudeau was selected, however, for the somewhat makeshift West Indies side which toured New Zealand in 1955–56. Lacking Clyde Walcott and Frank Worrell of the established West Indian batsmen, the side often struggled for runs, and Pairaudeau scored just 101 runs in six innings in the four Tests. The Fourth Test of the series at Auckland provided New Zealand with its first-ever victory in Test cricket.<ref>"West Indies in New Zealand, 1956", ''Wisden'' 1957, pp. 829–38.</ref>

Pairaudeau played on the tour of England in 1957. He hit 127 against Cambridge University and a career-best 163 against Hampshire,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hampshire v West Indies 1957 |url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1957/WI_IN_ENG/WI_HANTS_13-16JUL1957.html |website=Cricinfo |accessdate=3 November 2020}}</ref> but in 31 other innings on the tour he managed fewer than 500 runs. He played in the First and Fourth Tests, but failed to get into double figures in his four innings. However, during the first innings of opening Test at Edgbaston, he did spend over eight and a half hours in the middle, despite being bowled by Fred Trueman for one run. He spent three and a quarter hours acting as a runner for Clyde Walcott, and then a further five hours running for Frank Worrell, who were both injured.<ref>Preston, Norman (1958), [http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152657.html England v West Indies 1957], Wisden Almanack. Retrieved 21 June 2012.</ref> This series was to be the end of his Test career, at the age of 26.<ref name="Stuff obit"/>

==New Zealand career== Having enjoyed his tour of New Zealand in 1956, and foreseeing unrest in British Guiana as it headed towards independence,<ref>{{cite news |first1=Richard |last1=Boock |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/cricket-beaten-but-what-a-swell-party-it-was/VWD6EBBBIDDYBHEKLUKNA7NOJQ/?c_id=4&objectid=10371853 |title=Cricket: Beaten, but what a swell party it was |access-date=27 May 2013 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=9 March 2006 |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Pairaudeau emigrated to New Zealand in 1958, settling in Hamilton, where he scored a century in his first club match.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Pairaudeau Scores 144 Not Out |journal=Press |date=9 December 1958 |page=8 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19581209.2.55}}</ref> Shortly afterwards he began playing Plunket Shield cricket for Northern Districts. In his first Plunket Shield season he scored 50 or more runs in six consecutive innings.<ref>{{cite journal |title=B. H. Pairaudeau, A Talented, Consistent Cricketer |journal=Press |date=7 February 1962 |page=13 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19620207.2.85}}</ref> Consistent rather than spectacular – he scored only one century in eight seasons in New Zealand – he was a regular in the side for seven seasons. He captained Northern Districts from 1961–62 to 1964–65, and in 1962–63 he led them to their first-ever title in the Plunket Shield.<ref>''Wisden'' 1964, p. 863.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Pairaudeau Withdraws |journal=Press |date=27 August 1965 |page=13 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19650827.2.167}}</ref>

In 1958–59 Pairaudeau was the second-highest run-scorer in the Plunket Shield, with 412 runs in five matches,<ref>{{cite web|title=Batting and Fielding in Plunket Shield 1958–59|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/3/Plunket_Shield_1958-59/Batting_by_Average.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 September 2017}}</ref> and in 1961–62 he was the leading run-scorer, with 380 runs in five matches.<ref>{{cite web|title=Batting and Fielding in Plunket Shield 1961–62|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/3/Plunket_Shield_1961-62/Batting_by_Average.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 September 2017}}</ref> He became eligible to represent New Zealand in 1962, but his batting form fell away, and younger men were preferred for the Test team.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Three New Players In Team For First Test |journal=Press |date=15 February 1960 |page=15 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19600215.2.173}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Opening Batsman is N.Z. Problem |journal=Press |date=3 February 1964 |page=16 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19640203.2.177}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Important Season For Cricket Tour Candidates |journal=Press |date=19 December 1964 |page=11 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19641219.2.87}}</ref> He played his last first-class match during the 1966–67 season.<ref name="Stuff obit"/><ref name="ESPN obit">{{cite news|title=Bruce Pairaudeau, the former West Indies and Northern Districts batter, dies aged 91|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bruce-pairaudeau-former-west-indies-and-northern-districts-batter-dies-aged-91-1339794|date=13 October 2022|access-date=13 October 2022|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> He played Hawke Cup cricket for Waikato from 1961 to 1968.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hawke Cup Matches played by Bruce Pairaudeau |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/953/Hawke_Cup_Matches.html |website=CricketArchive |access-date=26 September 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life== Pairaudeau was married to Gillian until her death in August 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gillian Pairaudeau Obituary|url=https://notices.nzherald.co.nz/nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/name/gillian-pairaudeau-obituary?pid=196666874|date=21 August 2020|access-date=13 October 2022|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |via=Legacy.com}}</ref> Together, they had two children. One of them, Toni, predeceased him.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|title=Bruce Pairaudeau Obituary|url=https://notices.nzherald.co.nz/nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/name/bruce-pairaudeau-obituary?pid=202977306|date=13 October 2022|access-date=13 October 2022|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |via=Legacy.com}}</ref>

Pairaudeau worked in insurance in British Guiana.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Tony |last1=Cozier |title=Catching up with Bruce and Sam |url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/01/29/sports/catching-up-with-bruce-and-sam/ |website=Stabroek News |date=29 January 2009 |access-date=26 January 2021}}</ref> After moving to New Zealand, he spent the rest of his working career with an insurance company in Hamilton.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Ateet |last1=Sharma |title=Blast from the past! A West Indian Kiwi who gave India jitters |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/west-indian-kiwi-who-gave-india-jitters-hamilton-diaries-bruce-pairaudeau-178856-2014-01-29 |website=India Today |date=29 January 2014 |access-date=26 January 2021}}</ref> Pairaudeau continued to play club cricket until the age of 48.<ref>{{cite news|title=On the wrong side of historic NZ win|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1470426411|page=21|date=24 December 2013 |access-date=13 October 2022|newspaper=Waikato Times|id={{ProQuest|1470426411}} }}</ref> At the time of his death he was the oldest living Northern Districts player.<ref>Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, ''2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack'', Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 14.</ref>

Pairaudeau died on 9 October 2022 after a brief illness, aged 91.<ref name=obit/><ref name="ESPN obit"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=52669}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pairaudeau, Bruce}} Category:1931 births Category:2022 deaths Category:West Indies Test cricketers Category:Cricketers who made a century on Test debut Category:Cricketers from Georgetown, Guyana Category:Guyanese cricketers Category:Northern Districts cricketers Category:Commonwealth XI cricketers Category:Guyana cricketers