Peter Sainsbury 1934 - 2014

Jul 13 2014

It is with sadness that Hampshire Cricket can announce former player and coach Peter Sainsbury has passed away, aged 80.

Hampshire Cricket Chairman, Rod Bransgrove: “We are all sharing a profound sense of loss at the sad passing of one of the Club's true legends as both a player and a person. Our sympathies and thoughts are with Peter's wife, Joyce and his devoted family. A sad day for Hampshire Cricket.”

John Arlott "Peter Sainsbury - an Appreciation" - Hampshire Handbook 1965

"There has never been a keener cricketer than Peter Sainsbury - 'Pete' or 'Sains' in the dressing room, eagerness personified on the field. He has the complete air of enthusiasm: his hair always looks as if it was cut yesterday; his shirt and flannels as if they had been laundered even later ... He gives every lively ounce of his being to each moment of play but, desperately hard as he is, he is utterly fair: one of cricket's idealists."

Peter Sainsbury. 1934 - 2014

Born Chandlers Ford, Hampshire

RHB, SLA

Played for Hampshire 1954-1976 in 593 First Class Matches

Hampshire Coach 1977-1991

Only CP Mead (700) and AS Kennedy (596) played in more first-class matches

He scored 19,576 runs at 27.03 (seven centuries) – only seven men have scored more in a career for Hampshire

He took 1,245 first-class wickets at 24.14. Only four men took more first-class wickets for Hampshire

Of the men who scored more and/or took more wickets, only Gordon Greenidge and Roy Marshall also played in limited-overs cricket

He held 601 first-class catches and is one of eight men who have held 100+ catches for Hampshire at better than one per match

LIMITED OVERS

He scored 2,079 runs at 19.61, with five half-centuries - HS 76

He took 202 limited overs wickets. BB 7-30

The 1951 Hampshire Handbook reported on the promise of “Sainsbury of Bitterne Park School, Southampton who left school while still a Colt and went straight to the Ground Staff at Southampton”. He was described as “a most promising all-rounder who has already played both for the Club and Ground and the County Second Eleven”.

He appeared in the pre-season squad photograph of 1950 and then, after National Service, returned and made his debut with a few appearances in 1954 as Hampshire’s older spin bowlers (Bailey, Knott and Hill) were replaced principally by Sainsbury and Burden who would both play key roles in the first title triumph of 1961.

In 1955 Hampshire finished third for the first time and Sainsbury was a vital part of this young side for his catching, batting and 102 wickets at 18.50. One of his most memorable days came as Hampshire beat that season’s runners-up Yorkshire at Bradford – Sainsbury dismissed the recent England captain Len Hutton twice in a day. He also took 5-40 as they beat Champions Surrey.

He was selected for the England A tour of Pakistan that winter but his bowling was not quite the same on return although he continued to make a considerable all-round contribution as improving Hampshire were runners-up in 1958 and Champions in 1961. In that title-winning season he scored 1,459 runs, took 54 wickets and held 46 catches. On the crucial day when they won the title against Derbyshire at Bournemouth, he shared a vital and rapid partnership with Mike Barnard in the morning and then took two wickets including the last one which brought the title south for the first time. It was perhaps fitting that that wicket went to one of Hampshire’s finest Hampshire-born players.

During the 1960s Hampshire’s attack was dominated by their three England pace bowlers, Shackleton, White and Cottam but by 1971, Sainsbury’s experience bore fruit as he took 107 wickets at 17.51 and with over 900 runs, narrowly missed being the only Hampshire player to ‘do the double’ since Jim Bailey in 1948.

By this time he had adapted superbly to the new limited-overs format, first in the knock-out cup from 1963, then with the introduction of the John Player Sunday League in 1969.

In 1973 he was a key member of the side that won Hampshire’s second (and to date last) Championship – the only man to appear in both sides. He was vice captain, finished third in the batting averages and was second in the national bowling averages with 49 wickets at 17.73.

He never played for England although in recent years a story emerged that he was discussed as a serious replacement candidate on England’s Ashes tour of 1958/9. In the event, John Mortimore (Gloucs) took that spot.

Peter Sainsbury played a full part in the first limited-overs success when Hampshire won the Sunday League in 1975 and then took up the role of coach, during which time Hampshire won two more Sunday titles and reached their first Lord’s finals. Among the young players who came through during his time were Mark Nicholas, Paul Terry, Bobby Parks, Robin Smith, Jon Ayling, Adi Aymes and Shaun Udal.