The 2005 English cricket season was the 106th in which the County Championship had been an official competition. Before it began, a resurgent England cricket team had won four Test series in a row, going unbeaten through the 2004 calendar year. The start of the international season saw England defeat Bangladesh 2–0 in their two-match series, winning both Tests by an innings. This was followed by a tri-nations one-day tournament that also featured Australia. Australia still started the Test series as favourites but most fans expected England to put up a challenge.
The MCC University matches in 2005 are games played between the University Centre of Cricketing Excellence ("UCCEs") and first-class opposition. This is the first year the games are called "MCC" University matches, after the MCC announced a funding plan to support the development of student cricket.
Steven Michael Davies is an English first-class cricketer, a left-handed batsman who plays for Somerset. He bats in the middle order in first-class cricket and opens in limited-overs. He started as a wicket-keeper, playing ODI and Twenty20 cricket in this role for England and has stated a desire to return to this position.
Christopher Charles Benham is an English cricketer. Benham is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born at Frimley, Surrey. He attended Yateley School across the county border at Yateley in Hampshire. Making his debut at the professional level for the Hampshire Cricket Board in 2001, he spent nine years playing for Hampshire, before being released by the county after the 2010 season. He is now playing club cricket for Wimbledon CC in the Surrey Championship Premier League whilst working as a financial planner at St James's Place Wealth Management.
Michael Alexander Carberry is an English former professional cricketer who most recently played for Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Carberry is a left-handed opening batsman who bowls occasional right-arm off breaks.
The 2006 English cricket season was the 107th in which the County Championship had been an official competition. It included home international series for England against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. England came off a winter with more Test losses than wins, for the first time since 2002-03, but still attained their best series result in India since 1985. The One Day International series against Pakistan and India both ended in losses.
William McLean Gifford is an English cricketer who has played first-class cricket for Loughborough UCCE and one List A game for Worcestershire. He is, as Wisden put it, "no known relation" to former Worcestershire captain Norman Gifford.
Adrian George Agustus Matthew McCoubrey is an Irish cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he has played 43 times for the Ireland cricket team since August 1999 including six first-class matches and twelve List A matches. He has also played first-class and List A cricket for Essex.
James William Arthur Taylor is a former English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. A right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm leg break bowler, Taylor made his debut in first-class cricket in 2008 for Leicestershire and made major impressions in his first county seasons. He is noted as being a fine fielder in the covers. He became the youngest Leicestershire one-day centurion and first-class double centurion. In 2009, Taylor also became the youngest player in Leicestershire's history to score 1,000 championship runs in a season.
Matthew Thomas Gitsham is an English cricketer. Primarily a leg break bowler, he has played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club having previously represented Somerset Cricket Board in 2001 and Buckinghamshire in Minor counties cricket in 2006.
Arun Harinath is an English cricketer, a top-order batsman who has played at first-class level for Surrey, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Leicestershire and Loughborough UCCE since 2007. He was educated at Tiffin School, and then attended Loughborough University.
Alistair Duncan Brown is a former English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club, before moving to Nottinghamshire for the 2009 season. He was nicknamed "Lordy", in allusion to Ted Dexter because of his big-hitting, confident batting style. He was a right-hand bat and occasional right-arm off-break bowler, who made 16 One Day International appearances for England between 1996 and 2001, with a best of 118.
Richard Eric King is a former English cricketer. King was a right-handed batsman who bowled left-arm medium-fast. He was born at Hitchin, Hertfordshire and educated at Bedford Modern School.
Richard Malcolm Wilkinson is an English cricketer. Wilkinson is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium pace. He was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire.
Paul David Atkins is an English first-class cricketer. Atkins was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off break. He was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Philip David Lewis is an English cricketer. Lewis is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Liss, Hampshire.
Oliver Richard James is a Welsh cricketer. James is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born in Neath, Glamorgan.
James Edward Ord is an English cricketer. Ord is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire.
Daniel Mark Williams is an English cricketer. Williams is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium-fast. He was born in Newbury, Berkshire.
Nicholas John Lamb is an English cricketer. Lamb is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium pace. He was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
