Peter Loader
Encyclopedia
Peter James Loader was an English
cricket
er and umpire
, who played thirteen Test matches
for England. He played for Surrey
and Beddington Cricket Club. A whippet
-thin fast bowler with a wide range of pace and a nasty bouncer, he took the first post-war Test hat-trick as part of his 6 for 36 against the West Indies at Headingley
in 1957. It was only the twelfth hat-trick ever taken in Test cricket, and it was another thirty eight years before Dominic Cork
became the next England bowler to take one.
The cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked that Loader was, "angular, accurate and with an aversion to breaking down".
Because of the talent of Frank Tyson
, Fred Trueman
and Brian Statham
, Loader had been in and out of the England team and had toured Australia in 1954–55 without playing in any of the Tests. He bowled consistently well and took 26 wickets (19.50) on the 1958–59 tour, but only took seven wickets (27.57) in what was his last Test series. He suffered from sunstroke in an early match and had to retire from the field, and was unfit to play in the next game. He retired from the Australian XI match with a strained Achilles tendon
, and spent several days in bed with a high temperature, but still played in the First Test in the following week. He had a groin strain
which kept him out of the New South Wales game and the following Fourth Test. He and Statham were in a car crash before the Fifth Test and he never played for England again. Loader was accused of "chucking"
although he was never called by an umpire because his bouncers were noticeably faster than his normal delivery. Frank Tyson wrote "His inexplicable wide range of pace has from time to time, raised the suspicion of a 'kink' in his action. He can certainly generate a great deal of speed for a man who is of slender build".
He was an important part of Surrey's attack, helping them to achieve their run of seven successive County Championship
titles between 1952 and 1958. He made his debut in 1951, and cemented his place in July 1953, when in three successive matches he took 34 wickets.
He twice took nine wickets in an innings for Surrey: 9 for 23 against Kent
in 1953 and 9 for 17 against Warwickshire
in 1958. On seven occasions he took one hundred or more first-class wickets in a season, the last time in 1962.
Though not much of a batsman, he made his highest score of 81 against Yorkshire
at Headingley
in 1955. He came in with the score at 119 for 8, and his innings enabled Surrey to recover to 268 all out.
He emigrated to Perth, Western Australia
, in 1963, so ending his career with Surrey. He played one match for the state side in 1963-4, his final first-class appearance. He subsequently took up umpiring. Loader retired from umpiring at the top grade for the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA)
in 2007.
Loader died in Perth, Western Australia
in March 2011, at the age of 81.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
, who played thirteen Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England. He played for Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and Beddington Cricket Club. A whippet
Whippet
The Whippet is a breed of dog in the sighthound family. They are active and playful and are physically similar to a small Greyhound.- Description :...
-thin fast bowler with a wide range of pace and a nasty bouncer, he took the first post-war Test hat-trick as part of his 6 for 36 against the West Indies at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
in 1957. It was only the twelfth hat-trick ever taken in Test cricket, and it was another thirty eight years before Dominic Cork
Dominic Cork
Dominic Gerald Cork is a former English cricketer. Cork is a right-handed lower-order batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium, and is renowned for his swing and seam control. Making his début in first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1990, he was selected to play for England in 1992, aged 21. He...
became the next England bowler to take one.
The cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked that Loader was, "angular, accurate and with an aversion to breaking down".
Life and career
Loader was born in Wallington, Surrey.Because of the talent of Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...
, Fred Trueman
Fred Trueman
Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE was an English cricketer, generally acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history. A bowler of genuinely fast pace who was widely known as Fiery Fred, Trueman played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1949 until he retired in 1968...
and Brian Statham
Brian Statham
John Brian "George" Statham, CBE was one of the leading English fast bowlers in 20th-century English cricket. Initially a bowler of a brisk fast-medium pace, Statham was able to remodel his action to generate enough speed to become genuinely fast...
, Loader had been in and out of the England team and had toured Australia in 1954–55 without playing in any of the Tests. He bowled consistently well and took 26 wickets (19.50) on the 1958–59 tour, but only took seven wickets (27.57) in what was his last Test series. He suffered from sunstroke in an early match and had to retire from the field, and was unfit to play in the next game. He retired from the Australian XI match with a strained Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
, and spent several days in bed with a high temperature, but still played in the First Test in the following week. He had a groin strain
Adductor muscles of the hip
In human anatomy, the adductor muscles of the hip is a group of muscles of the thigh.-Muscles:The adductor group is made up of:*Adductor brevis*Adductor longus*Adductor magnus*Adductor minimus This is often considered to be a part of adductor magnus....
which kept him out of the New South Wales game and the following Fourth Test. He and Statham were in a car crash before the Fifth Test and he never played for England again. Loader was accused of "chucking"
Throwing (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, throwing, commonly referred to as chucking, is an illegal bowling action which occurs when a bowler straightens their arm when delivering the ball. The Laws of Cricket specify that a bowler's arm must be fully extended and rotated about the shoulder to impart velocity to...
although he was never called by an umpire because his bouncers were noticeably faster than his normal delivery. Frank Tyson wrote "His inexplicable wide range of pace has from time to time, raised the suspicion of a 'kink' in his action. He can certainly generate a great deal of speed for a man who is of slender build".
He was an important part of Surrey's attack, helping them to achieve their run of seven successive County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
titles between 1952 and 1958. He made his debut in 1951, and cemented his place in July 1953, when in three successive matches he took 34 wickets.
He twice took nine wickets in an innings for Surrey: 9 for 23 against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
in 1953 and 9 for 17 against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in 1958. On seven occasions he took one hundred or more first-class wickets in a season, the last time in 1962.
Though not much of a batsman, he made his highest score of 81 against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
in 1955. He came in with the score at 119 for 8, and his innings enabled Surrey to recover to 268 all out.
He emigrated to Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, in 1963, so ending his career with Surrey. He played one match for the state side in 1963-4, his final first-class appearance. He subsequently took up umpiring. Loader retired from umpiring at the top grade for the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA)
WACA Ground
The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
in 2007.
Loader died in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in March 2011, at the age of 81.
See also
- English cricket team in Australia in 1954–55
- English cricket team in Australia in 1958–59
- Umpiring in the 1958–59 Ashes seriesUmpiring in the 1958–59 Ashes seriesThe England team were very unhappy with the umpiring of the 1958–59 Ashes series, in particular the questionable actions of some bowlers in the Australian team. The televising of Test cricket was in its infancy and the notion of Test umpires using slow-motion replays or other modern techniques was...
- 1958–59 Ashes series1958–59 Ashes seriesThe 1958–59 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of five days with six hours play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1958–59 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club...