Derbyshire County Cricket Club is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Peter Eyre who played for the county between 1959 and 1972.
Heritage Officer, David Griffin, looks back at the career of the former pace bowling all-rounder.
Thomas John Peter Eyre – inevitably known by colleagues as ‘Pierre’ – was born in Brough, Derbyshire on 17 October 1939 and joined the county staff in 1959 following good showings with the ball for the 2nd XI and Club and Ground sides in 1958.
Educated at Bradwell and New Mills, Eyre initially played for Hathersage Cricket Club.
Peter Eyre will be best remembered for his role in one of the most thrilling matches in Derbyshire’s history, but not before he’d suffered a scalp disease which left him permanently bald, contracted a severe bout of glandular fever and undergone a knee cartilage operation.
At the start of his career, appearances were limited as Les Jackson, Harold Rhodes and Brian Jackson were Derbyshire’s principal pace bowlers ably supported by Derek Morgan and Ian Buxton but in 1960 and 1961 he took his wickets cheaply; 35 at 19.17 and 36 at 22.40 respectively and added a couple of half centuries with the bat.
Injury and illness reduced his output for a couple of seasons but by 1966 he had become a regular, while in 1967 he had his best year with the ball taking 64 wickets at 19.95.
But his golden summer came two years later when he registered his sole first class hundred and recorded his best figures in both first class and one day cricket.
Eyre’s century came in the game against Leicestershire at Chesterfield and at a time when Derbyshire were in trouble at 91 for six shortly after lunch on the first day, and 108 for seven shortly afterwards.
Eyre, always popular with spectators, batted resolutely against an attack which included the Australian fast bowler ‘Garth’ McKenzie and two England Test spinners Ray Illinworth and Jack Birkenshaw to reach fifty and then more expansively, hitting nine fours and a six. Written accounts of the innings described his partnership with Alan Ward – 55 runs for the ninth wicket – as ‘exhilarating’.
Eyre’s 102 completed a remarkable triple for him – all at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield; two months earlier he had recorded his best first class bowling figures on the same ground taking eight for 65 against Somerset after Alan Ward and Harold Rhodes had unusually failed to make a breakthrough after play began late on day one following rain.
He took two wickets in the limited period of play but when the match resumed on the second day he bowled an exemplary spell, at one point taking three wickets in four balls and four wickets for four runs in 3.1 overs.
In between the maiden hundred and eight wicket haul, however, came an even greater performance, one for the ages, and one remembered fondly to this day.
Derbyshire had reached their first Gillette Cup semi final and a crowd of 10,582 assembled in Queen’s Park to witness the great occasion.
On a tricky pitch with a damp outfield, Derbyshire made just 136 all out in 56.4 overs leading to much vocal criticism from sections of the crowd. Derbyshire’s captain, Derek Morgan, later recalled that he was satisfied that if Derbyshire could reach three figures, and a bit beyond on that pitch, then his high quality pace attack would see Derbyshire home.
Harold Rhodes and Alan Ward bowled with pace and accuracy to leave Sussex on 10 for two after 14 overs of which 11 were maidens, before Eyre, bowling from the Lake End, ran through the Sussex line-up taking six for 18, including six for 11 in 40 balls.
Don Kenyon, awarding Eyre the Man of the Match award, commented that: “…Eyre’s direction and length were impeccable…”
In 2024 in my book about the history of cricket at Chesterfield, The Jewel in Derbyshire’s Crown, Peter contributed his own recollections of playing cricket at the famous old ground and recalled his greatest day on a cricket field:
“It was a huge game for Derbyshire because we’d never reached this stage of a competition before and there was great tension surrounding the game.
The crowd got on our backs to start with because we batted so slowly but Derek Morgan, our captain, was convinced that we just needed to set a reasonable target and our attack would do the rest.
The crowd was massive and when Harold Rhodes and Alan Ward ran in to bowl the noise was remarkable. They could barely scrape a run off the bat and when I came on to bowl it was frightening. I was a player who struggled for confidence at times and I was desperate not to let the side down after Harold and Alan had started so well. It was challenging following that pair but it all came off for me.
I bowled from the Lake End and as I began to take wickets the crowd started to roar as I began my run up. That noise is something you never forget.
Obviously taking six for eighteen was special and I was chuffed to bits to do so well but Harold and Alan paved the way for me with their opening spells.”
That final sentence summed up Peter’s modesty, content to praise his colleagues despite his own match-winning performance.
A fine cricketer who played 238 all format matches for the county of his birth, scoring 3,661 runs and taking 418 wickets, in addition to his one hundred he also made 10 fifties and on eight occasions he took five wickets in an innings in first class matches as well as his wonderful six for 18 in the Gillette Cup.
Peter Eyre’s final comment in my 2024 book probably sums up his cricketing life best of all:
“I absolutely enjoyed my career with Derbyshire. I’d seen George Pope bowl in Queen’s Park and the thought never crossed my mind that I’d play there for Derbyshire one day. But to play there and do well was such an honour. The best days of my life were playing for Derbyshire – I never got up not wanting to go to work.”
A modest man, but a talented cricketer who will forever be associated with one of the greatest days in Derbyshire’s history, Peter Eyre was a regular visitor to Past Players events and everyone connected with Derbyshire County Cricket Club extends their condolences to Peter’s family and friends.
