{{Short description|English cricketer and rugby union footballer (1936–2007)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}} {{Use British English|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Peter Marner | image = | caption = | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm medium | columns = 2 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 414 | runs1 = 17,513 | bat avg1 = 28.33 | 100s/50s1 = 18/98 | top score1 = 142* | deliveries1 = 23,830 | wickets1 = 360 | bowl avg1 = 31.62 | fivefor1 = 13 | tenfor1 = 1 | best bowling1 = 7/29 | catches/stumpings1= 379/– | column2 = List A | matches2 = 42 | runs2 = 1,120 | bat avg2 = 28.00 | 100s/50s2 = 1/5 | top score2 = 121 | deliveries2 = 1,850 | wickets2 = 54 | bowl avg2 = 25.35 | fivefor2 = 0 | tenfor2 = 0 | best bowling2 = 4/24 | catches/stumpings2= 26/– | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/31/31224/31224.html CricketArchive | date = 8 November | year = 2022 }} '''Peter Thomas Marner''' (31 March 1936 – 16 May 2007) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and then Leicestershire. He was rated by Trevor Bailey as the most formidable English batsman without a Test cricket cap.<ref name="times">[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1848344.ece Obituary]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Times'', 28 May 2007.</ref>
Marner was born in Oldham, Lancashire.<ref name="independent">[http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2556442.ece Obituary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930213115/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2556442.ece |date=30 September 2007 }}, ''The Independent'', 18 May 2007</ref> An all-rounder, he played for Crompton in the Central Lancashire League aged 15, and made his first-class debut for Lancashire in 1952, aged 16 years and five months, against Sussex at Hove. This made him the youngest person to ever play for Lancashire, beating the record set in 1879 by Johnny Briggs.<ref name="independent"/> Powerfully built, he was a hard-hitting right-handed middle-order batsman, right-arm medium-pace seam bowler, and a good slip fielder.
Marner is also in the record books for being the first person to win a limited-overs Man of the Match award, when Lancashire played its first Gillette Cup match against Leicestershire at Old Trafford in May 1963.<ref name="independent"/><ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/lancashire/6661863.stm Former Lancashire ace Marner dies], BBC Sport, 16 May 2007.</ref> He scored the format's maiden century in that game with an innings of 121, and also took 3 wickets for 49 runs.<ref>[http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/294383.html Allrounder Peter Marner dies], Cricinfo, 16 May 2007.</ref>
He clashed with the authorities at Lancashire, and moved to Leicestershire after the 1964 season. He toured Pakistan with a Commonwealth XI in 1967, but never played Test cricket. He reached 1,000 first-class runs in 12 seasons, scored 18 centuries, took 360 wickets, and held 379 catches.<ref name="times"/>
Marner was also talented in rugby union playing for Oldham and the British Army during a two-year stint of National Service. He also represented the Combined Services in cricket during that period.<ref name="telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/2313420/All-rounder-Peter-Marner-dies-at-71.html Obituary], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 23 May 2007.</ref> He suffered a neck injury playing rugby which interrupted his career in both sports in the 1950s.<ref name="independent"/>
He died in Oldham after a short illness.<ref name="independent"/> He was survived by his wife Vera, daughter Sara and son Nick, who was a useful league fast bowler.<ref name="independent"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=17334}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marner, Peter}} Category:1936 births Category:2007 deaths Category:English cricketers Category:Lancashire cricketers Category:Leicestershire cricketers Category:Combined Services cricketers Category:Commonwealth XI cricketers Category:Cricketers from Oldham Category:Rugby union players from Oldham Category:English rugby union players Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Category:A. E. R. Gilligan's XI cricketers Category:Army rugby union players Category:20th-century English sportsmen