THE funeral will take place on Monday of former Wellington and Sampford Arundel cricketer Peter Salt, who has died aged 81.

Mr Salt, of Lyddon Close, Wellington, was a fast bowler who moved to the town in the late 1960s and also played cricket for Somerset’s 2nd XI.

However, he had to cut short his career when he took a job with the then-Milk Marketing Board which saw him driving a ‘churn lorry’ at weekends.

He and his spin bowler older brother Christopher played most of their cricket in the Cheshire and Lancashire areas, where they mixed with cricketers such as Geoff Boycott.

They were known as ‘the Salt brothers’ and played for Macclesfield Cricket Club while still aged 16 and 17 years and also for Cheshire under-21s.

The brothers went to Macclesfield Secondary School and excelled at sports, with Peter captaining both the football and cricket teams.

They were later on the ground staff of Lancashire County Cricket Club helping to look after the wicket and the outfield before Peter moved to Wellington.

Christopher stayed in Macclesfield, but later moved to live near Cambridge, where he died about two years ago.

Peter leaves a widow Marlene and daughter Julie and son Simon, who also played cricket for Wellington.

Julie recalled how Peter would meet her and Simon after school and take them to Wellington Recreation Ground for an informal game of cricket, where he would also coach any children who turned up.

He also played football for a Milk Marketing Board team named Westend Utd, who played in West Ham’s famous claret and blue colours.

His funeral will be held in Taunton Deane Crematorium at 10 am on Monday and donations can be made for the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.

In later years, Peter and Marlene came to love the islands and would stay on St Agnes for five months at a time helping with a campsite.