A fiery character, “Scrubs” Loader never pretended to like batsmen. Tall and wiry in build, and with a long high-stepping run, he generated relentless hostility, alike in word and deed. Yet he was also a highly skilful bowler, capable of producing late movement in flight. “Loader could make a new ball talk,” Jim Laker remembered. “He had the uncanny knack of bowling an outswinger from both close to the stumps and also from the very end of the return crease, and he was able to do the same thing with the inswinger.
Peter Loader
“No quick bowler of his era could better his change of pace, and he could often bowl successively a slow off-spinner and the most vicious of bouncers.”
Occasionally there were doubts (which Jim Laker shared) about the legality of Loader’s action when delivering bouncers. Moreover, he was liable to lose his temper, and with it his control.
Greatly feared on the county circuit, Loader did sterling service for Surrey. Between 1951 and 1963 he played in 371 first-class matches (298 of them for the county), taking 1,326 wickets at 19.04 each.
He was unlucky to play at the same time as Brian Statham, Frank Tyson and Fred Trueman. As a result he was chosen for only 13 Test matches, beginning with the fourth Test against Pakistan in 1954.
That winter he did well in Australia and New Zealand, taking 41 wickets at 19.92 apiece without ever gaining a place in the Test attack, dominated by Tyson and Statham. Loader did not conceal his irritation at Len Hutton’s decision to treat him as a second-string bowler.
But in 1955, when Tyson was injured, Loader was picked for the fourth Test against South Africa, and took four for 52 in the first innings. And when Surrey played Yorkshire at the Oval that summer, he sent Len Hutton back to the pavilion for scores of 0 and 1.
In South Africa in 1956-57 Loader played in four Test matches, without ever obtaining the figures he deserved. He was also selected for the first two Tests against Australia on the disappointing tour of 1958-59, returning figures of four for 56 at Brisbane.
Altogether Loader took 39 Test wickets at 22.51 apiece. The highspot of his career came in the fourth Test against the West Indies at Leeds in 1957, when he bowled Frank Worrell and Everton Weekes in the same over, claimed Gary Sobers as his next victim, and then finished off the innings with a hat-trick, clean bowling JD Goddard and Roy Gilchrist, and having Sonny Ramadhin caught by Trueman.
This was the first hat-trick by an England bowler in a home Test match since JT Hearne performed the feat against Australia at Headingley in 1899. And not until 1995 did Dominic Cork follow suit, against the West Indies at Old Trafford.
A further eight England bowlers have taken hat-tricks abroad: William Bates at Melbourne in 1883; Johnny Briggs at Sydney in 1892; George Lohmann at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1896; Maurice Allom at Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1930; Tom Goddard at Johannesburg in 1938; Darren Gough at Sydney in 1999; Matthew Hoggard at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 2004; and Ryan Sidebottom at Hamilton in 2008.
Peter James Loader was born on October 25 1929 at Wallington in Surrey. Though troubled in youth by asthma, he was early set on bowling fast. At first he trained as a dental mechanic; his prowess at Beddington Cricket Club, however, won him an invitation to play for the Surrey Club and Ground team.
Loader was still an amateur when he made his debut for Surrey, against Kent in 1951. In the next season he gained a place on the professional staff. He came to the fore in July 1953, when he took 34 wickets in three matches, at an average of 7.97.
In the winters his county captain Stuart Surridge, whose family firm made bats, used to commandeer Loader for tree-felling. The idea was to build his strength. “After the first three days,” Loader told Hampshire’s Malcolm Heath, who had also been invited, “you’ll want to run away and die. Your hands will be sore and bleeding, and your back will ache more than you can imagine. But it does get better.”
Loader’s best figures in the county championship were his 9 for 23 against Kent in 1953 and 9 for 17 against Warwickshire in 1958.
Though his Test career ended at Melbourne in January 1959, he continued to perform effectively for Surrey. In 1962, for example, he took 131 wickets at 18.51 each. He exceeded 100 wickets in a season on seven occasions.
In 1963 Loader emigrated to Western Australia. But when, that November, he turned out for his new home state against Queensland at Brisbane, he ran into Peter Burge in top form and took nought for plenty. It was his last first-class game.
He had played in 371 matches and claimed 1,326 wickets at 19.04 apiece. Though unreliable as a batsman, Loader could be an effective straight hitter. Playing against Yorkshire at Headingley in 1955, he came in with the score at 119 for 8 and proceeded to hit a fine 81 which enabled Surrey to total 268. Over his first-class career, however, he managed only 2,314 runs at an average of 8.51.
Loader remained in Australia, where he ran a taxi business. He continued his association with cricket as a commentator, and later took up umpiring, retiring from the top grade of the Western Australian Cricket Association only in 2007.
Peter Loader and his wife, Jocelyn, had two sons and a daughter.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/8386608/Peter-Loader.html
But in 1955, when Tyson was injured, Loader was picked for the fourth Test against South Africa, and took four for 52 in the first innings. And when Surrey played Yorkshire at the Oval that summer, he sent Len Hutton back to the pavilion for scores of 0 and 1.
In South Africa in 1956-57 Loader played in four Test matches, without ever obtaining the figures he deserved. He was also selected for the first two Tests against Australia on the disappointing tour of 1958-59, returning figures of four for 56 at Brisbane.
Altogether Loader took 39 Test wickets at 22.51 apiece. The highspot of his career came in the fourth Test against the West Indies at Leeds in 1957, when he bowled Frank Worrell and Everton Weekes in the same over, claimed Gary Sobers as his next victim, and then finished off the innings with a hat-trick, clean bowling JD Goddard and Roy Gilchrist, and having Sonny Ramadhin caught by Trueman.
This was the first hat-trick by an England bowler in a home Test match since JT Hearne performed the feat against Australia at Headingley in 1899. And not until 1995 did Dominic Cork follow suit, against the West Indies at Old Trafford.
A further eight England bowlers have taken hat-tricks abroad: William Bates at Melbourne in 1883; Johnny Briggs at Sydney in 1892; George Lohmann at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1896; Maurice Allom at Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1930; Tom Goddard at Johannesburg in 1938; Darren Gough at Sydney in 1999; Matthew Hoggard at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 2004; and Ryan Sidebottom at Hamilton in 2008.
Peter James Loader was born on October 25 1929 at Wallington in Surrey. Though troubled in youth by asthma, he was early set on bowling fast. At first he trained as a dental mechanic; his prowess at Beddington Cricket Club, however, won him an invitation to play for the Surrey Club and Ground team.
Loader was still an amateur when he made his debut for Surrey, against Kent in 1951. In the next season he gained a place on the professional staff. He came to the fore in July 1953, when he took 34 wickets in three matches, at an average of 7.97.
In the winters his county captain Stuart Surridge, whose family firm made bats, used to commandeer Loader for tree-felling. The idea was to build his strength. “After the first three days,” Loader told Hampshire’s Malcolm Heath, who had also been invited, “you’ll want to run away and die. Your hands will be sore and bleeding, and your back will ache more than you can imagine. But it does get better.”
Loader’s best figures in the county championship were his 9 for 23 against Kent in 1953 and 9 for 17 against Warwickshire in 1958.
Though his Test career ended at Melbourne in January 1959, he continued to perform effectively for Surrey. In 1962, for example, he took 131 wickets at 18.51 each. He exceeded 100 wickets in a season on seven occasions.
In 1963 Loader emigrated to Western Australia. But when, that November, he turned out for his new home state against Queensland at Brisbane, he ran into Peter Burge in top form and took nought for plenty. It was his last first-class game.
He had played in 371 matches and claimed 1,326 wickets at 19.04 apiece. Though unreliable as a batsman, Loader could be an effective straight hitter. Playing against Yorkshire at Headingley in 1955, he came in with the score at 119 for 8 and proceeded to hit a fine 81 which enabled Surrey to total 268. Over his first-class career, however, he managed only 2,314 runs at an average of 8.51.
Loader remained in Australia, where he ran a taxi business. He continued his association with cricket as a commentator, and later took up umpiring, retiring from the top grade of the Western Australian Cricket Association only in 2007.
Peter Loader and his wife, Jocelyn, had two sons and a daughter.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/8386608/Peter-Loader.html
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