Peter Eele
Encyclopedia
Peter James Eele, born at Taunton
, Somerset
on 27 January 1935, was a cricketer
who played for Somerset
and later acted as an umpire
in first-class
matches in England.
Eele was a lower-order left-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper. He was the reserve wicketkeeper to Harold Stephenson
at Somerset in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and his first-class cricket career was dictated largely by Stephenson's state of health. So 43 of Eele's 54 first-class matches came in two seasons: 1958, when Stephenson was injured for the second half of the season, and 1964, when Stephenson was able to play only three times. When Stephenson left the county somewhat unwillingly at the end of the 1964 season, Somerset recruited Geoff Clayton
of Lancashire
as his wicketkeeping replacement. Eele stayed as Clayton's deputy for a couple of seasons, but then left the staff.
Eele's batting was his weak point. He passed 40 in a first-class innings only once, though he then went on to make an unbeaten 103 against the Pakistan Eaglets team in 1963. As a wicketkeeper, he was "tidy and unshowy".
After leaving Somerset, Eele played Minor Counties cricket for Devon
. From 1981 to 1984 and then again from 1989 to 1990 he was on the first-class umpires list.
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
on 27 January 1935, was a cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
and later acted as an 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...
in first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches in England.
Eele was a lower-order left-handed batsman and a wicketkeeper. He was the reserve wicketkeeper to Harold Stephenson
Harold Stephenson
Harold William Stephenson was an English first-class cricketer who played for Somerset. He captained Somerset from 1960 until his retirement in 1964....
at Somerset in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and his first-class cricket career was dictated largely by Stephenson's state of health. So 43 of Eele's 54 first-class matches came in two seasons: 1958, when Stephenson was injured for the second half of the season, and 1964, when Stephenson was able to play only three times. When Stephenson left the county somewhat unwillingly at the end of the 1964 season, Somerset recruited Geoff Clayton
Geoff Clayton
Geoffrey Clayton, born 3 February 1938 at Mossley, Lancashire, played first-class and List A cricket for Lancashire and Somerset between 1959 and 1967. He was a lower-order batsman and a wicketkeeper....
of Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
as his wicketkeeping replacement. Eele stayed as Clayton's deputy for a couple of seasons, but then left the staff.
Eele's batting was his weak point. He passed 40 in a first-class innings only once, though he then went on to make an unbeaten 103 against the Pakistan Eaglets team in 1963. As a wicketkeeper, he was "tidy and unshowy".
After leaving Somerset, Eele played Minor Counties cricket for Devon
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
. From 1981 to 1984 and then again from 1989 to 1990 he was on the first-class umpires list.