Stewart Pether

Stewart Pether (15 October 1916 – 17 January 2010) was an English first-class cricketer, British Army officer and educator. Pether played first-class cricket before the Second World War for Oxford University, before serving in the war with the Gloucestershire Regiment. Following its conclusion he became a schoolteacher.

Stewart Pether
Personal information
Full nameStewart Pether
Born15 October 1916
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Died17 January 2010(2010-01-17) (aged 93)
Eynsham, Oxfordshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-fast
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1936–1948Oxfordshire
1939Oxford University
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 10
Runs scored 103
Batting average 8.58
100s/50s –/–
Top score 20*
Balls bowled 1,532
Wickets 31
Bowling average 20.06
5 wickets in innings 2
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling 5/7
Catches/stumpings 3/–
Source: Cricinfo, 24 June 2019

Early life and war service

Stewart Pether was born into an Oxfordshire farming family at Oxford in October 1916.[1] He was educated in Oxford at Magdalen College School, before going up to St Peter's College, Oxford.[1] He debuted in minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire in the 1936 Minor Counties Championship.[2] While studying at Oxford he made his debut in first-class cricket for Oxford University against Yorkshire at Oxford in 1939, with him making nine further first-class appearances for Oxford in 1939.[3] He scored 103 runs with a high score of 20 not out,[4] while with the ball he took 31 wickets an average of 20.06, with best figures of 5 for 7,[5] which came against Derbyshire.[6]

He served in the British Army during the Second World War, enlisting in the Gloucestershire Regiment as a second lieutenant in August 1939.[7] He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in January 1941.[8] He avoided being sent to Burma with the regiment when he was selected to play rugby union for the Army rugby team.[1] He later took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944, during which his life was saved when a bullet his is brandy flask in his breast pocket.[1] He was seriously wounded by a shell from a German 105mm artillery gun, which necessitated his evacuation to an American field hospital and repatriation back home.[1] As a result of his injuries he resigned his commission from the army in August 1946,[9] at which point he held the rank of captain.[10]

Teaching career and later life

Following the war he resumed playing minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire, appearing in the Minor Counties Championship twice in 1948, having made 28 appearances in the competition since his debut in 1936.[2] He began teaching geography at St Edward's School, Oxford, where became head of the geography department and a house master. He remained at the school until his retirement.[1] Outside of teaching, Pether served as the long-time president of Oxford R.F.C. and volunteered for the Burford branch of The Royal British Legion.[1] His wife, Daphne, with whom he had three children, predeceased him by some thirty years. Pether died at Eynsham in January 2010. He was survived by two of his three children, as well as his long-term partner of thirty years.[1]

References
  1. "Mr Stewart Pether, St Edward's School master". The Oxford Times. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  2. "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Stewart Pether". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  3. "First-Class Matches played by Stewart Pether". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  4. "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Stewart Pether". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  5. "First-class Bowling For Each Team by Stewart Pether". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  6. "Oxford University v Derbyshire, 1939". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  7. "No. 34653". The London Gazette. 11 August 1939. p. 5543.
  8. "No. 35056". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 January 1941. p. 539.
  9. "No. 37682". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 August 1946. p. 4057.
  10. "No. 37446". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 January 1946. p. 703.
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