Peter Willey
Encyclopedia
Peter Willey is a former English
cricket
er, who played as a right-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. In and out of the England team, he interrupted his international career for three years by taking part in the first of the England players' South African rebel tours
in 1982. After his playing career ended, he became a Test
umpire
. Although widely respected, he got tired of the constant travelling, and decided to leave the international panel to spend more time with his family. However, as of the 2011 season he remains an umpire on the English first class
list. His son David Willey
has gone on to be a professional cricketer, making a half century on his debut for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
against Leicestershire County Cricket Club
.
Known for his intimidating, mean and moody image, he was constantly picked against the formidable West Indian pace attack, only to be dropped again for games against more gentle opposition. He scored two hundreds against the West Indies, although his overall Test
batting average ended at under 27.
was about to bowl to Willey, that the radio commentator Brian Johnston
said: "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey". While Wisden
stated that there is no record of Johnston or anyone else actually saying this, Johnston's co-commentator, Henry Blofeld
, recalled the incident as having taken place at The Oval
in 1976.
In 1979, Willey caught Dennis Lillee
off the bowling of Graham Dilley
, resulting in a scorecard entry of: "Lillee c Willey b Dilley".
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, who played as a right-handed batsman and right-arm offbreak bowler. In and out of the England team, he interrupted his international career for three years by taking part in the first of the England players' South African rebel tours
South African rebel tours
The South African rebel tours were a series of seven cricket tours staged between 1982 and 1990. They were known as the rebel tours because South Africa was throughout this period banned from international cricket due to the apartheid regime...
in 1982. After his playing career ended, he became a Test
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...
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...
. Although widely respected, he got tired of the constant travelling, and decided to leave the international panel to spend more time with his family. However, as of the 2011 season he remains an umpire on the English 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...
list. His son David Willey
David Willey (cricketer)
David Jonathan Willey , is an English cricketer playing for Northamptonshire Steelbacks. He is a left-handed batsman and bowler. He is the son of former England cricketer and current international umpire Peter Willey...
has gone on to be a professional cricketer, making a half century on his debut for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
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...
against Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
.
Career
As his career developed, Willey became a leading exponent of the "open stance" style of batting, where the batsman looks squarely at the bowler, rather than the traditional "side-on" style, looking past his own shoulder at the bowler. Advocates of the MCC Coaching manual derided the stance for its "ugliness", and asserted technical reasons why its exponents were doomed to fail, but Willey persisted with the method and was generally successful.Known for his intimidating, mean and moody image, he was constantly picked against the formidable West Indian pace attack, only to be dropped again for games against more gentle opposition. He scored two hundreds against the West Indies, although his overall Test
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...
batting average ended at under 27.
Anecdotes
According to an urban myth, it was during a Test match between the West Indies and England when Michael HoldingMichael Holding
Michael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
was about to bowl to Willey, that the radio commentator Brian Johnston
Brian Johnston
Brian Alexander Johnston CBE, MC was a cricket commentator and presenter for the BBC from 1946 until his death.-Early life and education:...
said: "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey". While Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
stated that there is no record of Johnston or anyone else actually saying this, Johnston's co-commentator, Henry Blofeld
Henry Blofeld
Henry Calthorpe Blofeld is a sports journalist. He is best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.Blofeld had an exceptional career as a schoolboy cricketer, cut short by injury...
, recalled the incident as having taken place at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1976.
In 1979, Willey caught Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
off the bowling of Graham Dilley
Graham Dilley
Graham Roy Dilley was an English cricketer, whose main role was as a fast bowler. He played first-class cricket for Kent and Worcestershire, and appeared in 41 test matches and 36 ODIs for England...
, resulting in a scorecard entry of: "Lillee c Willey b Dilley".