Peter Sainsbury

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Peter James Sainsbury (13 June 1934 – 12 July 2014) was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire from 1954 to 1976 and for the Marylebone Cricket Club from 1955 to 1960. He was born in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, England, and died at age 80.

Sainsbury was a right-handed middle-order batsman and a slow left-arm bowler. He was a regular in Hampshire for 22 seasons and helped the team win the County Championship in 1961 and again in 1973. He was the only player who appeared in both title-winning Hampshire sides and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1974.

In 1955 he had a strong debut year, taking 102 wickets and scoring 586 runs. He later became known for his one-day bowling too, famously taking seven wickets in a Gillette Cup match in 1965 (7–30 against Norfolk). England’s strong spin options limited his Test opportunities, but he contributed a lot to Hampshire with both bat and ball. He was a superb fielder near the wicket and often batted at number 6 to steady the innings.

Over his career, Sainsbury played 618 first-class matches, scored 20,176 runs, and took 1,316 wickets, along with 617 catches. He retired from first-class cricket in 1976.