Peter Parfitt

Peter Parfitt (born Peter Howard Parfitt, 8 December 1936, Billingford, Breckland, Norfolk, England) is an English former cricketer. He attended Fakenham Grammar School, and King Edward VII Grammar School, in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

The cricket correspondent, Colin Bateman, noted, "he was a stocky, powerful left-handed batsman, happy to take on the quicks, and he made a dramatic impact in Test cricket despite his misgivings".

Life and career

Parfitt was an all round sportsman, playing for Norwich City reserves at football, and cricket at Minor Counties level, before Middlesex offered him a playing contract.

Parfitt played for Middlesex between 1956 and 1972, captaining the team from 1968 to 1970. He played in thirty seven Tests for England between 1962 and 1972, and was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1963. A left-handed strokemaker, he made three centuries in four Tests against Pakistan in 1962, (ultimately making four in five Tests against the same opposition), but was used as a makeshift opener in the 1962-63 Ashes series in Australia and failed.

A left-handed batsman, right-arm off-break bowler and fine fielder, he was judged to be one of the most exciting strokemakers of his generation. Parfitt took over the captaincy at Middlesex when Fred Titmus stood down, but was not pleased to have...
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