Player profile

Full name Peter Appleton Shelley
Born Epsom, June 10, 1948
Nickname The Baron
Batting style Right-hand tailender
Other Wicketkeeper
Height 5 ft 5 in
Clubs Ashtead
School XI 1963 to 1964
OC Career 1964 to 2002

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat		Inns		NO		HS		Runs		Ave		50		100		Ct		St
OCCC	167		113		23		43		630		7.00		0		0		150		33

Bowling averages

	Overs		Mdns		Runs		Wkts		Ave		Best		5WI		SR		Econ
OCCC	-		-		-		-		-		-		-		-		-

Notes

Captain 1975 to 1981

Profile

That Peter was still occasionally turning out almost four decades after making his debut for the club was testament to his ability as a wicketkeeper rather than any rigourous fitness regieme. For two decades after leaving Cranleigh Peter was the automatic first-choice keeper for the club and a virtual ever-present in the side. Remarkably agile, his lack of inches was more than compensated for by his anticipation and technique, and whenever possible he stood up to the stumps. He was possibly the last specialist 'keeper to play for the club, replaced by a succession of batsmen who happened to keep. His batting was usually limited to keeping one end up while someone else scored the runs. He had the misfortune to succeed John McDermott as captain, inheriting an ageing and depleted squad (even Mac admitted that the membership list he handed to Shelley contained 12 names, two of which had moved away from the area). But through hard work and force of his personality, Peter drew in young players, and although results under his tenure were not spectacular, he enticed three future captains - Bugge, Wilkie and Chetwode - as well as many of the players who dominated in the 1980s and 90s. Peter's naturally cheerful demeanour diffused many potential clashes, and while he was never short of things to say they were never malicious or abusive, and almost always amusing. His family's OCCC representation probably goes back further than any other. His grandfather played for the club at the turn of the century, and his father and uncle both turned out in the 1930s.

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