Peter Kippax (fourth from left) with Idle’s Priestley Cup winning team in 1976 © Getty Images
Peter Kippax, who played for Yorkshire as a leg-spinner in the early 1960s and became an instantly recognisable figure in cricket circxles in the north of England, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, aged 76.
Kippax only played five first-class games but he was notable for the fact that the last two were 25 years apart: after making his final appearance for Yorkshire against the Pakistan tourists in 1962, he reappeared for MCC against his former county at the Scarborough Festival in 1987 – an opportunity he cherished.
Leg-spin was an unfashionable occupation in Yorkshire, and the presence of England spinners such as Raymond Illingworth and Don Wilson further limited his opportunities, but he went on to enjoy a long career in Minor Counties cricket with Durham and Northumberland as well as in league cricket in Yorkshire and the north-west. He also coached for many years in Yorkshire cricket circles and was respected as an innovative thinker.
He founded Kippax Bats in 1976 and was a popular, effervescent figure around the county. The business, now based in Methley, is run by his son Chris and is one of a dwindling band of companies to grow its own Engloish willow.
David Hopps is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo @davidkhopps
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo