Wisden
Obituary

Reg Hayter

HAYTER, REGINALD JAMES, died on March 13, 1994, aged 80. Reg Hayter was a Fleet Street legend who began his own sports reporting agency, Hayters, in 1955, which has functioned ever since as a finishing school for young sports journalists. They were worked hard at not over-generous rates and either sank, or swam into the leading jobs in Fleet Street: four current national cricket correspondents are graduates, including Reg's son Peter. Hayter started as a junior with Pardon's, the agency that then produced Wisden, in 1933; the editor's notes on the Bodyline tour were dictated to him for transcription.

He was associated with the Almanack for many years, covering a number of tours, and also edited The Cricketer between 1978 and 1981. He is thought to be responsible for the idea of the cricketer's agent, having persuaded Denis Compton to let Bagenal Harvey take charge of his affairs. Hayter himself acted as agent to players like Basil D'Oliveira and Ian Botham, and as an informal adviser to many others. Dozens of cricketers, particularly the more sociable sort, were among his friends and there was a huge turnout at his 80th birthday party. He was a capable and fanatical club cricketer. During the war, he turned out for the British Empire XI; he played for Stanmore until he was past 60 and spoke at the club's annual dinner two days before he died.

© John Wisden & Co