Philpott played eight Tests before becoming a notable coach
Philpott’s eight Tests came in the span of less than a year from March 1965 to January 1966. In a five-Test series against West Indies he took 18 wickets then he claimed his career-best 5 for 90 at the start of the 1965-66 Ashes series before being dropped after two more matches and he quickly retired at the age of 31.
Overall in first-class cricket, where he played for New South Wales, he claimed 245 wickets at 30.31. He captained NSW during the 1963-64 and 1964-65 Sheffield Shield seasons. He also averaged 31.36 with the bat.
Philpott went on to become a notable coach, including with Australia during the 1981 Ashes, with stints at NSW, South Australia, Yorkshire, Surrey and Sri Lanka. He also worked with England during the 1998-99 series when they were trying to overcome years of pain at the hands of Shane Warne.
“Any player that has reached the heights Peter did, in playing for his country and captaining his state, will long be remembered by the game,” Lee Germon said,” the Cricket NSW chief executive said. “After his decorated playing career Peter was an outstanding coach and educator who was involved in cricket in Sydney’s north for more than six decades.
“My personal memory is being a young wicket keeper at the Peter Philpott coaching clinics in Christchurch in New Zealand. He also took me for my level 3 coaching course in Christchurch and I saw first hand his incredible coaching skills.”
Philpott’s death follows those of Australia offspinner Ashley Mallett and allrounder Alan Davidson over the previous two days.