[1] Born in Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, Sainsbury was a right-handed middle-order batsman and a slow left-arm bowler.

After a few games for Hampshire and the first-class Combined Services team in 1954, Sainsbury was a big success in his first full season in 1955, taking 102 wickets and scoring 586 runs.

He was picked for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) "A" tour to Pakistan in 1955–56 and played in two of the four representative matches.

But in an era when England's spin bowling options included Tony Lock, Fred Titmus, Ray Illingworth and Derek Underwood, this was as close as he came to Test cricket.

For a side that for many years relied very heavily on the runmaking of just two or three players, Sainsbury's runs, usually made at No 6 in the batting order, gave Hampshire solidity.