Peter May

Peter Barker Howard May, C.B.E. was born December 31, 1929 at Reading, Berkshire and died on December 27, 1994 at Liphook, Hampshire from a brain tumour. He was an English cricketer who played for Surrey, Cambridge University and England.

Related Topics:
December 31 - 1929 - Reading - Berkshire - December 27 - 1994 - Liphook - Hampshire - Brain tumour - English - Cricketer - Surrey - Cambridge University - England

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He was educated at Charterhouse and Pembroke College, Cambridge, and at both he was regarded as a batting prodigy. Across the 1950s, he was the most consistent and prolific English batsman in both county and test cricket. A right-handed batsman, he was a particularly strong driver, and was regarded by his contemporaries as the most graceful and complete batsman of his era.

Related Topics:
Charterhouse - Pembroke College, Cambridge - Test cricket

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He made his test match debut against the South Africans at Headingley in 1951, scoring 138, and was then a regular England player until forced out by illness at the end of the 1950s. A brief reappearance in 1961 was less successful, and he retired entirely from first-class cricket in 1963, taking up a post in the City.

Related Topics:
Test match - South Africans - Headingley - 1951 - 1961 - First-class cricket - The City

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May was the natural successor to Leonard Hutton as England captain after the successful defence of the Ashes on the 1954/55 tour of Australia, and he himself defended them successfully in 1956, when his Surrey colleagues Jim Laker and Tony Lock were the dominant players. The following year, 1957, with a not out innings of 285 and sharing a stand of 411 with Colin Cowdrey in the first match at Edgbaston, May took control of the test match series against the West Indies, seeing off the two highly-feared spinners, Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, who had taken the tourists to victory in the previous series in 1950. May's captaincy of England ended in disappointment, though, with the loss of the Ashes in the 1958/59 series in Australia. In all May captained England on 41 occasions, winning 20 games, more than any other England captain. He lost 10 and drew 11 games.

Related Topics:
Leonard Hutton - The Ashes - 1954 - 55 - 1956 - Jim Laker - Tony Lock - 1957 - Colin Cowdrey - Edgbaston - West Indies - Sonny Ramadhin - Alf Valentine - 1958 - 59

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May was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1952. He was captain of Surrey from 1957 to 1963, winning the County Championship in his first two seasons, the final two victories in the record-breaking sequence of seven from 1952 to 1958.

Related Topics:
Wisden Cricketer of the Year - 1952 - 1957 - 1963 - County Championship - 1958

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May has a stand named after him (the 'Peter May Enclosure') at The Oval, Surrey, England.

Related Topics:
The Oval - Surrey - England

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He married Virginia Gilligan, a daughter of the former England captain Harold Gilligan. They had three daughters.

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He served posthumously as President of Surrey CCC in 1995/96.

Related Topics:
1995 - 96

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