Peter Robinson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Peter James Robinson is a former English cricket
er who played first-class cricket
for Worcestershire
and Somerset
during the 1960s and 1970s; he also played List A cricket for Somerset, who capped him in 1966. He is the nephew of England Test cricket
er Roly Jenkins
.
Robinson was playing for Worcestershire's Second XI at the age of 17, and in August 1960 he took 5/7 against Lancashire
II, including four wickets in five balls.
However, his first-class debut had to wait another three years, until Worcestershire faced the Pakistan Eaglets in June 1963. Robinson took three wickets, accounting for Intikhab Alam
in both innings.
He played three more first-class games that season, without any great success.
In 1964 Robinson played just once, and that against Cambridge University
,
and he left to join Somerset for the 1965 season.
The contrast was immediate: Robinson was a first-team player at once, and remained so for some years. He made his Somerset debut (also his List A debut) in a Gillette Cup match against Berkshire
in April, ending with figures
of 3.5-2-2-2.
In the first-class game, he claimed 44 wickets at 23.54
, including 6/105 against Yorkshire
late in the summer. In a low-scoring match, he gave a hint as to his future batting ability by scoring 37 from number ten in the order, helping to add 54 for the ninth wicket after Somerset had fallen to 66/8.
From 1966 to 1970, Robinson played more than 20 first-class matches each year, and in 1969 and 1970 especially was also an important part of the county's one-day
squad. He improved his batting considerably, and in 1970 passed a thousand first-class runs in a season for the only time, finishing with 1,158 at 26.93; he had also come close to the mark in 1967, when he scored 917 runs.
Of the three first-class centuries he made in his career, the highest was the 140 he struck against Northamptonshire
in late May 1970.
With the ball, Robinson's most productive summer was that of 1966, when he finished with 70 first-class wickets at 21.41, including five five-wicket bags and his solitary ten-wicket match haul.
The latter came against Surrey
in early June, when his returns of 7/48 and 4/39 proved enough to assist Somerset to a two-wicket victory.
A few weeks earlier, he had recorded his best innings figures, running through Nottinghamshire
at Trent Bridge
with a remarkable second-innings return of 17.2-14-10-7 as they collapsed from 37/0 to 62 all out.
The closest he got to having his averages "the right way round" for an all-rounder
was in 1967, when he averaged 26.20 with the bat and 27.90 with the ball.
After 1970 Robinson's career began to decline. He did score one final century, hitting 112 against Glamorgan
in August 1971,
but he never again played a full season. His bowling reduced to almost nothing: from 1971 onward, he never took more than three first-class wickets over the course of a summer. His last first-class game was in 1977 against Gloucestershire
; in this match he claimed his final wicket, that of David Graveney
.
Robinson's final List A match came the following June against Sussex
.
At the age of 34, his career in major cricket was over, although he continued to turn out for Somerset's Second XI into his early fifties, captaining that side on a considerable number of occasions.
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 who played first-class cricket
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...
for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
and 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...
during the 1960s and 1970s; he also played List A cricket for Somerset, who capped him in 1966. He is the nephew of England Test cricket
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...
er Roly Jenkins
Roly Jenkins
Roly Jenkins was an English cricketer, almost exclusively for Worcestershire as a leg spinner in the period immediately after World War II...
.
Robinson was playing for Worcestershire's Second XI at the age of 17, and in August 1960 he took 5/7 against 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...
II, including four wickets in five balls.
However, his first-class debut had to wait another three years, until Worcestershire faced the Pakistan Eaglets in June 1963. Robinson took three wickets, accounting for Intikhab Alam
Intikhab Alam
Intikhab Alam Khan is a retired Pakistani cricketer who played in 47 Tests and 4 ODIs from 1959 to 1977. He also played in English county cricket for Surrey between 1969 and 1981....
in both innings.
He played three more first-class games that season, without any great success.
In 1964 Robinson played just once, and that against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
,
and he left to join Somerset for the 1965 season.
The contrast was immediate: Robinson was a first-team player at once, and remained so for some years. He made his Somerset debut (also his List A debut) in a Gillette Cup match against Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire 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 Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in April, ending with figures
Bowling analysis
In the sport of cricket, a bowling analysis usually refers to a notation summarising a bowler's performance in terms of overs bowled, how many of those overs are maidens , total runs conceded and number of wickets taken...
of 3.5-2-2-2.
In the first-class game, he claimed 44 wickets at 23.54
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
, including 6/105 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....
late in the summer. In a low-scoring match, he gave a hint as to his future batting ability by scoring 37 from number ten in the order, helping to add 54 for the ninth wicket after Somerset had fallen to 66/8.
From 1966 to 1970, Robinson played more than 20 first-class matches each year, and in 1969 and 1970 especially was also an important part of the county's one-day
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
squad. He improved his batting considerably, and in 1970 passed a thousand first-class runs in a season for the only time, finishing with 1,158 at 26.93; he had also come close to the mark in 1967, when he scored 917 runs.
Of the three first-class centuries he made in his career, the highest was the 140 he struck against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in late May 1970.
With the ball, Robinson's most productive summer was that of 1966, when he finished with 70 first-class wickets at 21.41, including five five-wicket bags and his solitary ten-wicket match haul.
The latter came against 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...
in early June, when his returns of 7/48 and 4/39 proved enough to assist Somerset to a two-wicket victory.
A few weeks earlier, he had recorded his best innings figures, running through Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
with a remarkable second-innings return of 17.2-14-10-7 as they collapsed from 37/0 to 62 all out.
The closest he got to having his averages "the right way round" for an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
was in 1967, when he averaged 26.20 with the bat and 27.90 with the ball.
After 1970 Robinson's career began to decline. He did score one final century, hitting 112 against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in August 1971,
but he never again played a full season. His bowling reduced to almost nothing: from 1971 onward, he never took more than three first-class wickets over the course of a summer. His last first-class game was in 1977 against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
; in this match he claimed his final wicket, that of David Graveney
David Graveney
David Anthony Graveney OBE is a leading figure in English cricket and former chairman of the England Test selectors, a post he held from 1997 until 2008. Graveney attended Millfield School in Somerset....
.
Robinson's final List A match came the following June against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
.
At the age of 34, his career in major cricket was over, although he continued to turn out for Somerset's Second XI into his early fifties, captaining that side on a considerable number of occasions.