Ex-cricket all-rounder dies at 84
FORMER Glamorgan and England cricketer and sports broadcaster Peter Walker has passed away at the age of 84 after a stroke.
Walker was one of the great allrounders of his era and earned three Test caps for England against South Africa back in 1960, emerging on the winning side in each of those matches.
Having been born in Bristol and raised largely in South Africa, Walker, who also spent a couple of years in the Merchant Navy, played his entire 16-year cricketing career with Welsh county Glamorgan, becoming one of the club’s all-time greats.
His record is one of phenomenal consistency, having made more than 1,000 runs in a season on 11 occasions and scoring three centuries.
In 1961, Walker, a left-arm bowler but right-handed batsman, took 101 wickets to achieve the double of scoring 1,000 runs and notching 100 wickets in a single season.
He was also considered an incredibly gifted close catcher, too, having recorded a remarkable 697 catches in 469 career matches.
Walker was a key member of the Tony Lewis-led Glamorgan side which romped to the County Championship title in 1969, one of only three times the Welsh side has won it in its history.
Following his retirement in 1972, Walker would continue to enhance his reputation in Wales by becoming a stellar sports news broadcaster with the BBC.
He fronted the broadcaster’s coverage of the limited-overs Sunday League competition for many years as well as presenting BBC Wales Today.
Walker later helped to form Merlin Television in 1985 and it grew to become the largest independent production company in Wales.
After selling out in 1996, Walker became the inaugural chief executive of the newly-formed Cricket Board of Wales and was instrumental in the plans to build the National Cricket Centre at Sophia Gardens.
In 2009 he was appointed club president of Glamorgan, but resigned the following year in protest owing to how the club was being run under then-chairman Paul Russell.
He was later awarded an MBE for his services to cricket.
Gareth Williams, chairman of Glamorgan, said: “Everyone at Glamorgan is saddened to hear this news. Peter was a club legend, a man who gave everything he could to the club he loved while playing, and later in an off-field capacity.
“He gave so much back to the game, in particular through his work with Cricket Wales and the National Cricket Centre, and through his outstanding service as President of Glamorgan.”
Hugh Morris, chief executive, said: “A combination of world-class catching ability, aggressive batting and accurate spin made him a triple threat and a brilliant all-rounder.
“He helped Glamorgan to win a County Championship title and represented England, making him a true legend of the club.
“We may never see another player quite like him, and he will be missed by everyone at the club.
“Our thoughts go out to his family, and his friends.”