Peter James Sainsbury (13 June 1934 – 12 July 2014) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Hampshire from 1954 to 1976 and the Marylebone Cricket Club from 1955 to 1960. Born in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire in June 1934, Sainsbury was educated in Southampton, where he first played cricket and as a teenager was coached by Arthur Holt. After making his debut for Hampshire, his career was interrupted by two years of National Service, during which he played first-class cricket for the Combined Services. After completing his National Service, Sainsbury established himself in the Hampshire team as an all-rounder who bowled slow left-arm orthodox spin and batted as a right-hander in the middle order. In his first full season in 1955, he took a hundred wickets in a season. He established a spin bowling partnership with Mervyn Burden in the 1950s and into the early 1960s.
He was a member of the Hampshire team that won their first County Championship in 1961, and their second in 1973; he is the only player to have featured in both of Hampshire's County Championship winning teams. His bowling declined in the 1960s, due to him producing less flight with the ball, but he had marked success as a batsman, passing a thousand runs in a season six times in the 1960s, including five seasons in a row between 1960 and 1964. With the introduction of one-day cricket in 1963, Sainsbury was described as one of the first players to adapt to the format. With the return of his ability to flight the ball at the end of the 1960s, he found new success as a bowler and took over a hundred wickets during the 1971 season. He was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 1974, becoming the first Hampshire-born Cricketer of the Year. He won the John Player League in 1975, before retiring at the end of the 1976 season.
In 618 first-class matches, Sainsbury took 1,316 wickets, including 36 five wicket hauls. His career total is the seventh highest in first-class cricket, with his is 1,245 wickets for Hampshire the fifth most for the county. As a batsman, he scored 20,176 runs making seven centuries and 97 half-centuries. He scored 19,576 runs, the eighth highest aggregate for the county. He was a renowned fielder, later being considered by the cricket historian John Arlott to have been the best short-leg fielder in the world. He took 617 wickets in first-class cricket, with his 601 for Hampshire only bettered by Phil Mead. In one-day cricket, he scored over 2,000 runs and took more than 200 wickets. Despite his all-round record, Sainsbury never won a Test cap for England, finding himself overlooked for the spin bowlers spot by Tony Lock, Ray Illingworth, Fred Titmus, and Derek Underwood; his abilities as a fielder often saw him fulfill twelfth man duties for England.
Following his retirement, Sainsbury coached Hampshire following the death of Geoff Keith from 1977 to 1991, leading Hampshire to success in one-day cricket in the 1978 John Player League, 1986 John Player Special League, to their first cup final appearance at Lord's in the 1988 Benson & Hedges Cup, in which they were victorious, and to the 1991 NatWest Trophy. After the end of his coaching career, he ran a sports shop alongside his former teammate Jimmy Gray in Shirley, Southampton. He died on 12 July 2014.
Cricket career Early life and career Peter James Sainsbury was born on 13 June 1934 in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire. He was educated at Bitterne Park Secondary Modern School, playing both cricket and football for combined Southampton schools. Aged 14, he was amongst the first to play for Hampshire's newly formed colt's side in 1949, under the guidance of coach Arthur Holt. He joined the staff at Hampshire the following year, and played for the Second Eleven a week after his 16th birthday. The start of his career was interrupted by two-years compulsory National Service, beginning in July 1952. Sainsbury later made his first-class debut for Hampshire against Oxford University at Oxford; following this match, he played twice for the Combined Services against the touring Pakistanis, and Yorkshire. He made his County Championship debut in the 1954 County Championship, when he played against Nottinghamshire at Southampton, scoring 63 runs in Hampshire's second innings and added 90 runs for the eighth wicket with Desmond Eagar. Sainsbury made six Championship appearances in the latter half of the 1954 season. In his first season, he took 25 wickets with his slow left-arm orthodox bowling at a bowling average of 27.96; he took his first five wicket haul (5 for 63) against Kent.
Established all-rounder Sainsbury established himself in the Hampshire team in 1955, making 30 first-class appearances. He took 102 wickets at 18.50, taking five or more wickets in an innings on six occasions. Against Essex in June, he took 7 for 25 to help Hampshire to victory by seven wickets. On his 21st birthday against Yorkshire, he took 5 for 19 in their first innings and 4 for 43 in their second, dismissing Len Hutton twice in a day. Hampshire won the match by an innings, their first victory over Yorkshire in 23 years. He was Hampshire's second-highest wicket-taker in the 1955 County Championship with 97, behind Derek Shackleton's 147. With the bat, he scored 586 runs at an average of 15.42. He was awarded his county cap at the end of the season, and was chosen for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) 'A' tour of Pakistan during the winter. His selection ended Chelsea manager Ted Drake's hopes of signing Sainsbury, after he had received reports of his abilities as an outside left in Southampton club football. He made nine first-class appearances on the tour, playing in two of the four representative matches against Pakistan. He took 16 first-class wickets on the tour, averaging 16.75. Upstaged on the tour by fellow spinner Tony Lock, Sainsbury attempted to emulate his bowling, negatively affecting his own game for the next two years.
In the 1956 season he took 59 wickets with two five wicket hauls from 32 first-class matches, his average rising to 28.38, with his batting yielding him 741 runs at a batting average of 22.45, with two half centuries. He had played for the MCC at the start of the season, making two appearances at Lord's against Yorkshire and Surrey, followed by a third later in the season against the touring Australians. The following season, he took 57 wickets at 24.49 from 28 appearances, though he took five wickets in an innings just once. He scored 652 runs at an average of 18.11, passing fifty once — a score of 94 against Worcestershire that formed part of a 154 runs partnership made in 135 minutes with Leo Harrison. Prior to the 1958 season, Sainsbury received coaching from former Surrey bowler Alf Gover. His all-round form assisted Hampshire to second place in the 1958 County Championship. He took 71 wickets at 19.98, with two five wicket hauls from 34 matches. As a consequence of Jimmy Gray breaking his arm prior to the season, Hampshire were left without an opening partner for Roy Marshall; Sainsbury was one of five batsman to open the batting prior to Gray's return at the end of May. Sainsbury scored 886 runs at 22.78 during the season, scoring his maiden first-class century (105 runs) against Worcestershire in August. He took part in the season-ending Scarborough Festival, playing for the MCC against Yorkshire and earning his callup to the Gentlemen versus Players fixture; as a paid professional he represented the Players, in contrast to unpaid amateurs who played for the Gentlemen. His 6 for 72 in the Gentlemen's second innings helped the Players to victory with 25 minutes left in the match.
In the early stages of England's 1958–59 tour of Australia, it was decided to add another spinner to the squad, with Sainsbury being chosen. However, by the following morning, the decision had changed and John Mortimore was called-up instead; this would not be revealed until 2004, when a letter detailing the decision was discovered. Sainsbury made 25 appearances in the 1959 season, though missed six weeks in June and July through pneumonia. He took 60 wickets at 27.75 and scored 934 runs at 30.12. He made six half-centuries during the season, with his highest score coming against Warwickshire in May, when he made 96 runs and shared in a partnership of 86 runs for the seventh wicket with Leo Harrison, to aid Hampshire's recovery from 87 for 6. He played again in the Scarborough Festival at the end of the season, playing for a second time in the Gentlemen versus Players fixture. Following the season, he travelled to South Africa to coach alongside Holt and teammates Gray and Marshall. He passed a thousand runs in a season for the first time in 1960, scoring 1,195 at 29.14 from 35 matches, with seven half-centuries; his highest score for the season, an unbeaten 98 runs, came in May against Warwickshire. He took 81 wickets in the season at 25.33, claiming five or more wickets three times. He took part in the Scarborough Festival at the end of the season, playing in the Gentlemen versus Players fixture and for T. N. Pearce's XI against the touring South Africans.
First County Championship
Sainsbury was a key part of Hampshire's first County Championship title winning team in 1961, making 1,459 runs in the County Championship at 31.04; he would make one century and eight half-centuries in the Championship. His century was the highest score of his career to that point, an unbeaten 125 runs against Glamorgan. The Hampshire Telegraph noted that his batting consistency often ensured Hampshire gained first innings batting points. He also took 54 wickets at 26.09, taking six wickets in an innings once. In the final Championship match of the season, he played an important role in Hampshire's victory against Derbyshire at Bournemouth, which secured them the title. On the final day, Hampshire were 129 runs ahead with six wickets remaining, and a draw looking the likely outcome. With Barnard, he put on 99 runs in 70 minutes for the fifth wicket, allowing them to declare on 263 for 8; this gave Shackleton (6 for 39) time to bowl Hampshire to victory. Sainsbury took the final wicket in Derbyshire's innings, that of Harold Rhodes. Hampshire could not repeat their 1961 success the following season, finishing tenth in the County Championship. In 33 first-class matches in 1962, he scored 1,503 runs at 31.97, making eight half-centuries and one century for the second consecutive season; he surpassed his highest first-class score, with 163 runs against Oxford University in June. Although he had begun to concentrate more on batting, he still took 56 wickets at 28.57 in 1962.
Sainsbury made 30 first-class appearances in the 1963 season. He scored 1,046 runs at 22.25, making a century and three half-centuries. He bowled less in 1963, delivering 229 fewer overs compared to the previous season, and took 37 wickets at an average of 30.62; his only five wicket haul (7 for 77) came against Yorkshire. In May, he was a member of Hampshire's team for their inaugural List A one-day match against Derbyshire in the 1963 Gillette Cup. At the end of the season, Mervyn Burden, with whom Sainsbury had formed a bowling partnership with since his debut, retired. In 1964, he scored a thousand runs in a season for the fifth consecutive year. His 1,305 runs came at 34.34, making one century and three half-centuries. He notably scored an aggressive 90 runs in 130 minutes against the touring Australians, helping Hampshire recover from 85 for 5 to 232 for 8; when his scored reached 43 runs, Sainsbury passed 10,000 career first-class runs. He took 57 wickets at 23.12; he showed considerable control against Glamorgan, bowling 31 overs, 27 of which were maidens. He played twice in the 1964 Gillette Cup, in Hampshire's victory against minor county Wiltshire in the first round and their defeat to Warwickshire in the second.