Piper claimed more than 500 catches in a 200-match first-class career, and was considered one of the most accomplished wicketkeepers of his generation.
He made two hundreds as well, including a best of 116 not out at Edgbaston in 1994, as he accompanied Brian Lara to his world-record 501 not out against Durham.
In an era when the Test wicketkeeping role bounced between Jack Russell and Alec Stewart, Piper’s name was often mentioned in selection circles, but the closest he got to a call-up were two England A tours in the mid-1990s.
His 16-year career would coincide with a run of unprecedented success for Warwickshire. He played in seven Lord’s finals between 1993 and 2002, winning three, as well as back-to-back County Championship titles in 1994 and 1995, and the Sunday League in 1994.
In 1997, Piper served a four-month drugs ban, and in 2005, he tested positive for cannabis in the opening round of the season, an episode that effectively ended his career.
He retired at the end of the season and served for a time as Warwickshire’s Second XI coach.
