6th April 2020
| Mallory Gray
Cricket Wales
regrets to announce the passing of Peter Walker. Peter was the first Senior
Staff appointment when the Cricket Board of Wales (CBW) was formed in 1996. As
Director of Cricket Development - Peter paved the way for future years in
developing the game at grassroots.
Peter was an
integral member of Glamorgan’s Championship-winning team of 1969 and a man who
featured in the Club’s historic victories over the 1964 and 1968 Australians.
Peter was
undoubtedly the finest close catcher in post-war county cricket. During his
outstanding career with Glamorgan from 1956 until 1972, Peter set a host of
fielding records which still stand today, including eight catches in the match
with Derbyshire at Swansea in 1970, a Club record of 67 catches in 1961 and a
career tally of 656 victims for the Welsh county – 175 of which came whilst
fielding to the off-cutters of Don Shepherd.
Peter was born
in Bristol but grew up in South Africa, before spending a couple of years in
the Merchant Navy. As a schoolboy in Johannesburg, Walker had been coached by
Allan Watkins and other Glamorgan players, there soon followed the offer of
summer contracts for 1954 and 1955.
Peter joined the full-time staff in 1956 as an
attacking middle order batsman and a left arm swing bowler, and in 1959 he
passed the 1,500-run mark. The following year he won three Test caps for
England, playing in their series against South Africa and in 1961 Peter
performed the treble in as he scored 1,347 first-class runs, took 101 wickets
in all games and held 73 catches.
During the 1960s
Peter also adapted his bowling style to left-arm spin, and his all-round skills
made him a key and an integral member of the Glamorgan side of the1960`s.
In
1969 Peter was also a key member of Glamorgan’s team which won the County
Championship and finishing runners-up the following year.
Peter retired at
the end of the 1972 season and became a leading broadcaster and journalist,
acting as the anchorman of BBC TV’s coverage of the Sunday League. He also
founded Merlin TV in 1985 with colleague David Parry-Jones, the company duly
becoming the largest independent broadcasting company in Wales.
In 1996 Peter
returned to the cricket world as he became the first Director of Cricket
Development of the Cricket Board of Wales, overseeing the introduction of a
nationwide coaching framework across Wales and the development of the National
Cricket Centre at Glamorgan`s headquarters at Sophia Gardens. He also acted as
an advisor to Glamorgan’s committee between 2009 and 2010 and serving as
President of Glamorgan CCC. The following year also saw Peter deservedly
awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to cricket.
Peter will be
missed by everyone at Cricket Wales and Glamorgan CCC and our thoughts are with
his family at this most difficult time.
Rod Jones
Chair Cricket
Wales