Born Vryburg, Cape Province 24.8.1940. Died Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal 23.5.2015 aged 74.
Peter, like his elder brother John (born Bloemfontein 10.1.1938 died Pretoria 17.10.2010) who made 43 first-class appearances 1958/59-1966/67, was educated at Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS). A lot of games that Peter played in were alongside his brother. In cricket, Peter, a right-hand batsman, went in at number three and John opened the batting. In hockey, Peter played centre forward and John played left inner. Both were highly competitive and Peter had fond memories of the verbal sporting banter between them. Peter maintained his own sporting achievements would not have happened without the assistance of John which went right back to their early cricket games in the backyard where each game was treated like a World Cup Final. In first-class cricket they played on the same side on 25 occasions (24 times for North-Eastern Transvaal and once for a Combined GW/NE Tvl/OFS XI).
He played for North-Eastern Transvaal Schools in the 1958 (East London) and 1959 (Pietermaritzburg) Nuffield Weeks. In the latter Week he scored 329 runs (avg 109.66) which included 103 not out against Orange Free State and 99 against Griqualand West. He was “quite the best batsman on view. His stoke play is good, his concentration excellent and his aggressive attitude should bring him higher recognition in the future.” He batted at number three for the SA Schools XI, against a Natal XI, at the end of the Week. PBHS became one of only three Schools, at that time, to have three players in the SA Schools team with Neville Holmes and Alan Hector also being selected.
Peter first appeared in Pretoria First League cricket at the age of sixteen and also played for PBHS Old Boys on a number of occasions including a match, when aged 45, on 19 October 1985 as part of the Schools 75th Anniversary celebrations.
After leaving PBHS, Peter continued to excel as an all-round sportsman also playing tennis, rugby and hockey. At hockey he gained provincial colours and later represented South Africa between 1963 and 1966 which included the tour to England and Europe in 1964.
He made his first-class debut for North-Eastern Transvaal in January 1959 against Griqualand West, at Loftus Versfeld (one of six first-class matches to be played on the famous rugby ground), where he scored 22 and 11 in the 233 run victory (NE Tvl 193 & 140; GW 41 & 69). Jackie Botten took 9-23 and 6-26 as the scheduled three-day game was over inside two.
In the 1959/60 season he played in just one first-class match, for a Combined Transvaal XI versus a Commonwealth XI at Loftus Versfeld. The following season he appeared in all six Currie Cup Section B games for North-Eastern Transvaal and totalled 408 runs (avg 37.09). His top-score was 83 in a drawn game against Rhodesia at the Police Ground in Salisbury (NE Tvl 245 & 203; Rho 170 & 60-2).
In December 1961 he made 11 and 14 for North-Eastern Transvaal in their drawn game against the touring New Zealanders at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.
Season 1962/63 was to be the most successful of his career with 568 runs (avg 56.80) from ten innings in the six Currie Cup B Section games. This included a career best 237 against Transvaal B, at Wanderers Stadium, in January 1963. His maiden first-class century was made in 186 minutes. It was, at the time, the highest individual score for North-Eastern Transvaal (later Northern Transvaal and Northerns) and since then only Neeten Chouhan 248 (2006/07) and Martin van Jaarsveld 238 not out (1999/00) both for Northerns have bettered this. His 237 is the fourth highest individual first-class score at Wanderers Stadium after Robbie Muzzell 238 not out (1969/70), Clive Richardson 258 (1959/60) and Daryll Cullinan 337 not out (1993/94).
His brother John captained the side and with North-Eastern Transvaal losing the match by 100 runs it was only the fifth instance in South African cricket of a side enforcing the follow-on and losing the match (NE Tvl 468 & 87; Tvl 293 & 362).
In the final match of the season, against Griqualand West at De Beers Stadium, Kimberley, he scored 132 (180 minutes, 2 x 6s, 7 x 4s) and added 113 runs in 72 minutes with Syd Burke (48) for the fifth wicket in the ten wicket victory (NE Tvl 305-9 dec & 23-0; GW 96 & 228).
He played in all five Currie Cup B Section games of the 1963/64 season and scored three fifties in his 293 run aggregate (avg 29.30). His highest two innings, 83 and 70, were in the final game of the season against Transvaal B at Wanderers Stadium where he top-scored for the side in both innings. Play ended prematurely on the first day when a violent dust storm, which lifted the sightscreen over the fence and into the stand, was followed by torrential rain. North-Eastern won easily by 201 runs (NE Tvl 221 & 275; Tvl B 182 & 113).
Season 1965/66 was to be his last for North-Eastern Transvaal and he departed from the province with a total of 272 runs from seven innings (avg 38.85) in his four Currie Cup B Section appearances. His third and final first-class hundred (146) was made against Griqualand West, at Berea Park, Pretoria in December 1965. He reached his century in 202 minutes and in all batted 263 minutes (2 x 6s, 13 x 4s) as his side went on to win by ten wickets (GW 194 & 257; NE Tvl 415-8 dec & 38-0).
He played for Transvaal in the 1966/67 season making three Currie Cup appearances for the senior side (94 runs, avg 18.80, five innings, highest score 39) and two games for the B side (113 runs, avg 56.50, two innings) with a highest score of 79 in the innings victory over Orange Free State at Ramblers, Bloemfontein (Tvl B 389; OFS 223 & 120). He took his only first-class wicket when he caught and bowled Des Schonegevel in the win over Griqualand West at De Beers Stadium, Kimberley, in December 1966 (Tvl B 503-9 dec & 26-0; GW 248 & 277).
Possibly one of the finest batting performances of his career was his 69 (top-score) in the first innings for Transvaal against the touring Australians at Wanderers Stadium. On November 15th 1966, eight minutes before time on the fourth day, he had helped his side create history by inflicting the first ever defeat on an Australian cricket team in South Africa – after 64 years, five tours and 73 first-class matches – in a magnificent game of cricket. Transvaal won by 76 runs (Tvl 321 & 422-6 dec; Aus 254 & 413).
He moved to Natal and played in all six Currie Cup games for the senior side in the 1967/68 season scoring 212 runs (avg 23.55) from nine innings. His top score of 81 was against Eastern Province at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth, in November 1967. He was bowled by Peter Pollock in his first innings for the province and in the second innings was caught by Lorrie Wilmot off Graeme Pollock’s bowling after scoring 16. The game ended in a draw (Ntl 280 & 256-8; EP 418).
He made one final first-class appearance the following season for Natal B, at Kingsmead, against Western Province captained by Eddie Barlow. He scored 18 and 28 (top-score) where bowlers called the tune in an absorbing match. Barlow bowled superbly in the second innings and finished with figures of 15.1-6-26-7 to ensure victory for the visitors (Ntl B 128 & 72; WP 179 & 23-1).
Peter died peacefully in hospital after a long illness and is survived by his sons Ian, Murray and Neil.
In 40 first-class matches 1958/59-1968/69: 69 innings, 1 not out, 2232 runs (avg 32.82), 237 highest score; 3 x 100s, 13 x 50s; 49 catches; bowling 1 wicket (avg 121.00), best 1-34