Peter Walker (cricketer)

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For other persons named Peter Walker, see Peter Walker (disambiguation).

Peter Walker England (ENG)
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling type	Left-arm bowler
	Tests	First-class
Matches	3	469
Runs scored	128	17650
Batting average	32.00	26.03
100s/50s	-/1	13/92
Top score	52	152*
Balls bowled	78	58125
Wickets	-	834
Bowling average	-	28.63
5 wickets in innings	-	25
10 wickets in match	-	2
Best bowling	-	7/58
Catches/stumpings	5/-	697/-
Test debut: 9 June 1960 Last Test: 7 July 1960 Source: [1]

Peter Michael Walker (born February 17, 1936, Clifton, Bristol) is a former English cricketer who played in three Tests in 1960.

Peter Walker was a tall right-handed middle-order batsman, a left-arm bowler who varied his pace between medium-paced seamers and slow spinners, and a spectacularly good close catcher, specialising in fielding at short-leg. Born in England but educated partly in South Africa, he played all his county cricket for Glamorgan. For a few years at the beginning of his cricket career, he also played during the UK winters for the South African provincial sides, Transvaal and Western Province.

As a batsman, Walker made 1,000 runs in a season 11 times, often seeming to do well when his colleagues faltered. But in 17 years of first-class cricket he made only 13 centuries and his career average of 26 runs per innings reflects soundness rather than flair. His bowling was effective more than penetrating, but in 1961 he took 101 wickets to achieve the all-rounder's double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets, and he was not far short in 1959 and 1962. As a fielder, he ranks among the best of all time: he took 697 catches in 469 career matches, and his 73 catches in 1961 – to go alongside his 1000 runs and 100 wickets – is the third highest figure for a fielder in a single English cricket season, after Walter Hammond and Mickey Stewart.

Walker was picked for three Tests against the weak South African cricket team that toured England in 1960; he batted well down the order in all three games and hardly bowled at all, but probably did well enough to have expected further chances. But at a time of batting riches for England and spin competition from David Allen, Ray Illingworth and Fred Titmus, he never got back into contention once dropped.

He stayed with Glamorgan until 1972 when, after being passed over for the captaincy, he retired to become a cricket writer and broadcaster. For many years, he introduced the BBC coverage of the Sunday League and commentated too.

More recently, he was chief executive of the Cricket Board of Wales and was responsible for the development of the National Cricket Centre for Wales at Glamorgan's home ground at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.