Peter Lever, whose brother Colin was also a successful cricketer, played for Lancashire and Tasmania
in a successful first-class career of 301 matches from 1960 until 1976, which yielded Lever 796
wickets and 3,534 runs. His England Test career is detailed below.
Peter Lever died on 27th March 2025 aged 84.
Peter Lever had been playing for Lancashire for ten seasons when Raymond
Illingworth called him up for the England team in 1970. His first run
out for England was in the last of the Tests against the Rest of the
World in 1970, played when demonstrations against apartheid led to the
cancellation of a planned South African tour. Lever bowled and bowled on
a flat Oval wicket and ended up with figures of 7-83. His victims made
an impressive list: Eddie Barlow, Graeme Pollock, Mushtaq Mohammad, Gary
Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Mike Procter and Intikhab. He played in the second
Test in Perth in 1970-71, then at Melbourne was allowed to share the
new ball with John Snow. He took 4-49 in Adelaide and 3-43 in Sydney,
scoring 64 in Auckland in to New Zealand. In 1971, he made 47 against
Pakistan at Edgbaston.
At Headingley Pakistan, chasing 231, were 203 for
seven when Lever returned to the attack and took the last three wickets
in four balls. He scored 88 not out against India at Old Trafford,
helping Illingworth take the score from 187-7 to 355-8 and then taking
5-70. In his later years he began to work up distinct pace, gaining a
spot on Mike Denness' tour of Australia in 1974-75. He took no wickets
in the first Test and was dropped until the last, when he took 6-38 and
3-65 and retaliated for the bumpers of Lillee and Thomson by sending the
ball flying around the head of Greg Chappell.
English joy at this was
short lived, as only a few weeks later a ball from Lever hit and almost
killed New Zealand tail-ender Ewen Chatfield. Lever was an integral part
of England's attack in the 1975 World Cup, bowling 10 overs for 16 runs
when Sunil Gavaskar batted through the Indian innings for 36 not out
and taking 3-32 against East Africa. (B.H.)
.
|
Peter Lever pictured above during the 1st Prudential Trophy One Day International against Pakistan
at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 31st August 1974. Photo George Herringshaw. ©
|
Date |
Test |
Venue |
Opp. |
1st Inns |
2nd Inns |
Batting |
Ct |
Result |
|
11/12/70 |
2 |
Perth |
Aus |
21-3-78-1 |
5-2-10-1 |
2 & dnb |
2 |
Draw |
|
09/01/71 |
4 |
Sydney |
Aus |
8.6-1-31-2 |
11-1-24-1 |
36 & dnb |
1 |
Won |
|
21/01/71 |
5 |
Melbourne |
Aus |
25-6-79-0 |
12-1-53-0 |
19 & dnb |
1 |
Draw |
|
29/01/71 |
6 |
Adelaide |
Aus |
17.1-2-49-4 |
17-4-49-0 |
5 & dnb |
1 |
Draw |
|
12/02/71 |
7 |
Sydney |
Aus |
14.6-3-43-3 |
12-2-23-1 |
4 & 17 |
0 |
Won |
|
25/02/71 |
1 |
Christchurch |
NZ |
5-4-1-0 |
15-3-30-1 |
4 & dnb |
0 |
Won |
|
05/03/71 |
2 |
Auckland |
NZ |
19-3-43-0 |
2-0-6-0 |
64 & 0 |
0 |
Draw |
|
03/06/71 |
1 |
Birmingham |
Pak |
38-7-126-1 |
dnb |
47 & dnb |
1 |
Draw |
|
17/06/71 |
2 |
Lord's |
Pak |
16-3-38-2 |
dnb |
dnb & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
|
08/07/71 |
3 |
Leeds |
Pak |
31-9-65-1 |
3.3-1-10-3 |
19 & 8 |
0 |
Won |
|
05/08/71 |
2 |
Manchester |
Ind |
26-4-70-5 |
7-3-14-0 |
88* & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
|
13/07/72 |
3 |
Nottingham |
Aus |
26-8-61-1 |
19-3-76-0 |
9 & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
|
29/11/74 |
1 |
Brisbane |
Aus |
16-1-53-0 |
18-4-58-0 |
4 & 14 |
2 |
Lost |
|
08/02/75 |
6 |
Melbourne |
Aus |
11-2-38-6 |
16-1-65-3 |
6* & dnb |
0 |
Won |
|
20/02/75 |
1 |
Auckland |
NZ |
20-4-75-0 |
11.5-0-37-2 |
dnb & dnb |
0 |
Won |
|
28/02/75 |
2 |
Christchurch |
NZ |
18-2-66-1 |
dnb |
dnb & dnb |
1 |
Draw |
|
31/07/75 |
2 |
Lord's |
Aus |
15-0-83-2 |
20-5-55-0 |
4 & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
Summary of all matches
| M |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
100s |
50s |
W |
BB |
Ave |
5w |
Ct |
| 17 |
350 |
88* |
21.88 |
0 |
2 |
41 |
6-38 |
36.80 |
2 |
9 |