This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2010) |
One Day name | Leicestershire Foxes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel | ||||
Captain | TBC | |||
Coach | Alfonso Thomas | |||
Overseas player(s) | Peter Handscomb | |||
Chief executive | Sean Jarvis | |||
Team information | ||||
Founded | 25 February 1879 | |||
Home ground | Grace Road, Leicester | |||
Capacity | 6,000 cricket matches / 19,999 concerts | |||
History | ||||
First-class debut | MCC in 1895 at Lord's | |||
Championship wins | 3 | |||
Pro40 wins | 2 | |||
FP Trophy wins | 0 | |||
One-Day Cup wins | 1 | |||
Twenty20 Cup wins | 3 | |||
Benson & Hedges Cup wins | 3 | |||
Official website | LeicestershireCCC | |||
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland. The club's limited overs team is called the Leicestershire Foxes. Founded in 1879, the club had minor county status until 1894, when it was promoted to first-class status pending its entry into the County Championship in 1895. [1] Since then, Leicestershire have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.
The club is based at Grace Road in Leicester, known as Uptonsteel County Ground for sponsorship reasons. and have also played home games at Aylestone Road in Leicester, at Hinckley, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Coalville inside the traditional county boundaries of Leicestershire.
In limited overs cricket, the kit colours are red with black trim in the Royal London One Day Cup and black with red trim in the T20. The shirt sponsors are Oval Insurance Broking with Highcross Leicester (shopping centre) on the top reverse side of the shirt.
Leicestershire are in the second division of the County Championship and in the north group of the Royal London One Day Cup. They recently finished bottom of the County Championship for the sixth time since the introduction of two divisions. Their best showing in recent years has been in the Twenty20 Cup with the Foxes winning the trophy three times in eight years.
+ 1 Bain Hogg Trophy – second XI one-day competition – 1996
Cricket may not have reached Leicestershire until well into the 18th century. A notice in the Leicester Journal dated 17 August 1776 is the earliest known mention of cricket in the county. Soon afterwards, a Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Club was taking part in important matches, mainly against Nottingham Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). This club was prominent from 1781 until the beginning of the 19th century.
Little more is heard of Leicestershire cricket until the formation of the present club on 25 March 1879.
Essex CCC versus Leicestershire CCC at Leyton on 14, 15 & 16 May 1894 was the first first-class match for both clubs. In 1895, the County Championship was restructured into a 14-team competition with the introduction of Essex, Leicestershire and Warwickshire CCC.
Leicestershire's first 70 years were largely spent in lower table mediocrity, with few notable exceptions. In 1953, the motivation of secretary-captain Charles Palmer lifted the side fleetingly to third place, but most of the rest of the 1950s was spent propping up the table, or thereabouts.
Change came in the late 1950s with the recruitment of the charismatic Willie Watson at the end of a distinguished career with England and Yorkshire. Watson's run gathering sparked the home-grown Maurice Hallam into becoming one of England's best opening batsmen. In bowling, Leicestershire had an erratically successful group of seamers in Terry Spencer, Brian Boshier, John Cotton and Jack van Geloven, plus the spin of John Savage.
Another change was in the captaincy: Tony Lock, the former England and Surrey spinner who had galvanised Western Australia.
Ray Illingworth, again from Yorkshire, instilled self-belief to the extent that the county took its first ever trophy in 1972, the Benson & Hedges Cup with Chris Balderstone man of the match. This was start of the first golden era as the first of five trophies in five years and included Leicestershire's first ever County Championship title in 1975. A couple of runners up spots were also thrown in. [2]
The game when Leicestershire won their first ever County Championship, on 15 September 1975, marked something of a personal triumph for Chris Balderstone. Batting on 51 not out against Derbyshire at Chesterfield, after close of play he changed into his football kit to play for Doncaster Rovers in an evening match 30 miles away (a 1–1 draw with Brentford). Thus he is the only player to have played League Football and first-class cricket on the same day. He then returned to Chesterfield to complete a century the following morning and take three wickets to wrap up the title. To add to that season's success for Leicestershire was a second Benson & Hedges victory. [2]
A runners-up spot in the 1982 County Championship brought some respectability, but the decade's only silverware was in the 1985 Benson & Hedges Cup with Balderstone still on board making him the most successful trophy winner in the club's history with six. [2]
Leicestershire won the county championship in 1996, and again in 1998. This was an amazing achievement considering the resources of the club compared to other county teams. This Leicestershire side, led by Jack Birkenshaw and James Whitaker, used team spirit and togetherness to get the best out of a group of players who were either discarded from other counties or brought through the Leicestershire ranks.
This team did not have many stars, but Aftab Habib, Darren Maddy, Vince Wells, Jimmy Ormond, Alan Mullally and Chris Lewis all had chances for England. West Indian all-rounder Phil Simmons was also named as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the year in 1997 while playing for the club.
The advent of Twenty20 cricket saw Leicestershire find a new source of success, winning the domestic T20 competition in 2004, 2006 and 2011. However, in the era of two-division County Championship cricket they have found success more difficult to come by, having not played in the top division since 2003 and been regular "wooden spoon" contenders. In 2013 and 2014 they finished without a single Championship win, the first team to achieve this unwanted feat in back to back seasons since Northamptonshire just before World War II.
No. | Name | Nationality | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Batters | ||||||
1 | Sol Budinger | England | 21 August 1999 | Left-handed | Right-arm off break | |
17 | Louis Kimber | England | 24 February 1997 | Right-handed | — | |
23 | Lewis Hill* | England | 5 October 1990 | Right-handed | — | |
26 | Rishi Patel | England | 26 July 1998 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | |
All-rounders | ||||||
8 | Ben Mike | England | 24 August 1998 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
16 | Rehan Ahmed ‡ | England | 13 August 2004 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | England central contract |
22 | Ian Holland ‡ | United States | 3 October 1990 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | UK Passport |
80 | Liam Trevaskis | England | 18 April 1999 | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | |
Wicket-keepers | ||||||
7 | Ben Cox | England | 2 February 1992 | Right-handed | – | |
28 | Harry Swindells | England | 21 February 1999 | Right-handed | — | |
54 | Peter Handscomb ‡ | Australia | 26 April 1991 | Right-handed | — | Overseas player |
Bowlers | ||||||
18 | Matt Salisbury | England | 18 April 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
19 | Sam Wood | England | 11 September 2004 | Left-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
20 | Josh Hull ‡ | England | 20 August 2004 | Left-handed | Left-arm fast-medium | |
31 | Chris Wright* | England | 14 July 1985 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
43 | Alex Green | England | 24 February 2007 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
49 | Roman Walker | Wales | 6 August 2000 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
88 | Tom Scriven | England | 18 November 1998 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium |
England | Australia Bangladesh India New Zealand Pakistan | South Africa West Indies
Zimbabwe |
Most first-class runs for Leicestershire
| Most first-class wickets for Leicestershire
|
Most first-team winners medals for Leicestershire
Best partnership for each wicket (county championship)
The Leicestershire Sub Academy is designed for young cricketers who have potential to play at the highest level. It is also called the EPP (Emerging Player Programme). Many players who are involved in this set up move on to the LCCC academy, where they will play matches against academies from other counties.
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Nottinghamshire. The club's limited overs team is called the Notts Outlaws.
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Middlesex which has effectively been subsumed within the ceremonial county of Greater London. The club was founded in 1864 but teams representing the county have played top-class cricket since the early 18th century and the club has always held first-class status. Middlesex have competed in the County Championship since the official start of the competition in 1890 and have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Gloucestershire. Founded in 1870, Gloucestershire has always been first-class and has played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England. The club played its first senior match in 1870 and W. G. Grace was their captain. The club plays home games at the Bristol County Ground in the Bishopston area of north Bristol. A number of games are also played at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival at the College Ground, Cheltenham and matches have also been played at the Gloucester cricket festival at The King's School, Gloucester.
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Sussex. Its limited overs team is called the Sussex Sharks. The club was founded in 1839 as a successor to the various Sussex county cricket teams, including the old Brighton Cricket Club, which had been representative of the county of Sussex as a whole since the 1720s. The club has always held first-class status. Sussex have competed in the County Championship since the official start of the competition in 1890 and have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals.
The Friends Provident Trophy was a one-day cricket competition in the United Kingdom.
John Christopher Balderstone was an English professional in cricket and football, and one of the last sportsmen to combine both sports over a prolonged period. He played football as a midfielder for Huddersfield Town, Carlisle United, Doncaster Rovers and Queen of the South. He played and umpired in first-class cricket making it to international level – he played in two Tests in 1976 and umpired in two ODIs between 1994 and 1998. In a long club career, he was a key part of the five trophy winning Leicestershire side of the early and mid-1970s.
Aylestone Road, now also known as the Leicester Electricity Sports Cricket Ground, is a cricket ground in Leicester, England, which was the headquarters of Leicestershire County Cricket Club from 1901 to 1939. Although the playing area is much reduced by housing and commercial developments, it is still used as a cricket ground, though not by the county team.
Graham Frederick Cross is a former professional footballer and cricketer. He is the record appearance holder for Leicester City, making 600 appearances for the club in all competitions.
The 1996 English cricket season was the 97th in which the County Championship had been an official competition. England hosted tours by India and Pakistan, who each played three Tests and three ODIs. Against India, England were unbeaten, winning the Test series 1–0 and the ODI series 2–0. However, against the Pakistanis England lost 2–0 in the Tests, and had to console themselves with a 2–1 ODI series victory.
Brian Fettes Davison is a former cricketer who played 467 first-class matches for Rhodesia, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Tasmania, and former member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in England, and has been played since the 16th century. Marylebone Cricket Club, based at Lord's, developed the modern rules of play and conduct. The sport is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board and represented at an international level by the England men's team and England women's team. At a domestic level, teams are organised by county, competing in tournaments such as the County Championship, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, T20 Blast and the Women's Twenty20 Cup. Recent developments include the introduction of a regional structure for women's cricket and the establishment of The Hundred for both men's and women's cricket. Recreational matches are organised on a regional basis, with the top level being the ECB Premier Leagues.
Barry Dudleston is a former first-class cricketer and umpire. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional wicketkeeper who played cricket for Leicestershire, Gloucestershire and Rhodesia. By the end of his 295 first-class games career, he had made 14,747 runs at 32.48, with 32 hundreds and 241 wickets.
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1997 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for one hundred and twenty-six years. In the County Championship, they won two matches to finish sixteenth in their ninety fourth season in the Championship. They came fourteenth in the AXA Life League and did not progress from the group in the National Westminster Bank Trophy. They reached the semi-final of the Benson & Hedges Cup.
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1986 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for one hundred and sixteen years. In the County Championship, they won five matches to finish eleventh in their eighty-second season in the Championship. They came ninth in the John Player League and reached round 2 in the National Westminster Bank Trophy. They reached the quarter-final of the Benson & Hedges Cup.
The County Ground is a cricket ground in Swindon, Wiltshire. The ground is located to the north of the County Football Ground used by Swindon Town. It has played host to first-class and List A cricket matches, in addition to playing host to Wiltshire County Cricket Club in minor counties cricket.
Norman Michael McVicker was an English cricketer. Having failed to establish himself with either Lancashire or Derbyshire, where he had trialled, McVicker initially played county cricket at minor counties cricket level for Lincolnshire. His performances in minor counties cricket were noticed by Warwickshire, who signed him at the age of 28 in 1969. He played five seasons with Warwickshire, winning the 1972 County Championship and taking 300 first-class wickets. He was released by Warwickshire at the end of the 1973 season and subsequently played for Leicestershire for three seasons from 1974–1976, winning both the County Championship and Benson & Hedges Cup in 1975. He retired at the end of the 1976 season, but came out of retirement in 1977 to play one-day cricket for Leicestershire, before retiring again at the end of that season.
Grace Ballinger is an English cricketer who currently plays for Leicestershire, The Blaze and Northern Superchargers. She plays as a left-arm medium bowler. She previously played for Warwickshire and London Spirit.