A HEREFORD-born former England cricketer has died, aged 85.

Peter Richardson, who was from a farming family, played for Worcestershire as an amateur from 1949 to 1958, becoming a regular member of the side from 1952.

He was educated at Hereford Cathedral School and, after his family had moved to a farm at Norton, played for Stourbridge.

Richardson was given the chance to establish himself at New Road as Don Kenyon's opening partner in 1952 - and never looked back.

He scored 1,502 runs that season and the following year amassed 2,294 runs.

After touring Pakistan with the MCC in 1955, he made his Test debut in the 1956 Ashes series after scoring 130 not out for Worcestershire against Australia at the start of that summer.

Richardson seized the opportunity to open in place of Leonard Hutton alongside Colin Cowdrey, scoring 81 and 73 opening against Australia at Trent Bridge and followed that up with 104 at Old Trafford – a game made famous by Jim Laker's 19 wickets.

His efforts in that series helped him to be named as one of Wisden's Cricketers Of The Year for 1957.

Richardson was appointed Worcestershire captain in 1956 but his spell at the County ended two years later.

He moved to Kent as a professional but Worcestershire opposed the move and he had to qualify during 1959 for his new county.

Peter's brother Dick Richardson also played for Worcestershire and the pair were in the same England side against the West Indies in 1957.

The last of his 34 Test appearances came in 1963 and he scored 2,061 Test runs at an average of 37.47 with five 100s and nine 50s.

His first class career ended in 1965 and Richardson scored a total of 26,055 runs at an average of 34.60 with 44 100s and 140 50s.

* Can you remember Peter Richardson playing? If so, share your emmories by emailing paul.rogers@herefordtimes.com