Having played his last games for Barbados during the 1969–70 season, Blades moved to Bermuda in the early 1970s. He is first recorded as playing for the Bermudian national side in 1975, when he represented the team against Jamaica. In 1979, Blades was selected for Bermuda in the inaugural edition of the ICC Trophy. He was one of six members of the squad with first-class experience, the others being Joseph Bailey, Noel Gibbons, Clarence Parfitt, Lionel Thomas, and Winston Trott. His biggest contribution at the tournament was as a bowler, with his best performances being 1/3 from 12 overs against Argentina and 2/14 from 12 overs in the semi-final against Canada. For the 1982 ICC Trophy, Blades was named Bermuda's captain, aged 37. He finished the tournament as the overall leading run-scorer, making 310 runs from eight matches (including innings of 69 not out against Papua New Guinea and 82 not out against West Africa). Bermuda made the tournament's final for the first and only time, but lost to Zimbabwe, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 1983 World Cup.