Peter Stimpson

Peter John Stimpson (born 25 May 1947) is a former Welsh first-class cricketer who played first-class and List A cricket for Worcestershire in 1971 and 1972.

Stimpson was playing for Worcestershire's Second XI as early as 1963, aged just 16,^[1] but it was almost eight years before he made his first-team debut, playing against Oxford University at The University Parks in May 1971. He opened the batting, but in his only innings managed just 11.^[2] However, he had several good innings later in the season, including the only first-class century of his career: 103 against Glamorgan at Worcester.^[3] He immediately followed this up with knocks of 88 and 42 not out against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.^[4]

Stimpson had ended 1971 with 787 first-class runs at 27.13, but he suffered a run drought in early 1972, repeatedly being dismissed for very small scores. He did make 52 against Surrey in mid-May,^[5] but it was not enough to prevent his return to the Second XI, and it was July before he re-established himself in the first team. Again he had a run of failures, but 88 in the County Championship against Kent brought him out of it,^[6] and 52 against Essex in the John Player League (his only List A half-century) gave cause for further hope.^[7] However, despite one more half-century (66 versus Nottinghamshire) by the end of the year he was struggling for runs once more, and 1972 was to be his second and last season of first-team county cricket.

Although Stimpson's career in senior cricket had ended, in the mid-1970s he appeared on several occasions for Zambia in East African tournaments, and in August 1976 produced an eye-catching performance, hitting 89 and 128* as an opener as Zambia beat Tanzania.^[8]