Playfair Cricket Annual 2018

Edited by Ian Marshall

The essential pocket guide to county and international cricket

Copyright © 2018 Headline Publishing Group

The right of Ian Marshall to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published as an Ebook in 2018

by HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

Front cover photograph James Anderson (England and Lancashire) © Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Back cover photograph Heather Knight (England and Berkshire) © Mark Kerton/Action Plus via Getty Images

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to reproducing copyright material. The author and publisher will be glad to rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

eISBN: 978 1 4722 4983 8

HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

An Hachette UK Company

Carmelite House

50 Victoria Embankment

London EC4Y ODZ

www.headline.co.uk

www.hachette.co.uk

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Foreword

Guide to Using Playfair

Acknowledgements

Test Cricket

England v Pakistan – Series Records

England v India – Series Records

Pakistan and India Registers

Statistical Highlights in 2017

Scorecards (February 2017-February 2018)

ICC Elite List of Umpires (including Referees)

Current Career Averages

Test Match Records

County Cricket

County Register, 2017 Championship Averages and Records

Derbyshire

Durham

Essex

Glamorgan

Gloucestershire

Hampshire

Kent

Lancashire

Leicestershire

Middlesex

Northamptonshire

Nottinghamshire

Somerset

Surrey

Sussex

Warwickshire

Worcestershire

Yorkshire

First-Class Umpires 2018

Touring Teams Register 2017

Universities Register 2017

Statistical Highlights in 2017

Specsavers County Championship

Royal London One-Day Cup

NatWest t20 Blast

Cricketer of the Year Awards

First-Class Averages in 2017

First-Class Cricket Career Records

Limited-Overs Career Records

First-Class Cricket Records

Limited-Overs and Twenty20 Internationals

England Limited-Overs Internationals in 2017

Current Career Records

Limited-Overs Internationals Records

England T20 Career Records

Twenty20 Internationals Records

Other Cricket

IPL Twenty20

Big Bash

Ireland International Register and Fixtures

England Women’s International Register

Women’s Test Match Records

Women’s Limited-Overs Records

Women’s International Twenty20 Records

Kia Super League

2018 Fixtures

Minor Counties

County 2nd XI

Principal Matches

FOREWORD

A recent article by the unmissable Mike Atherton (Cambridge University, 115 Test caps, 54 as captain, and SJA Cricket Writer of the Year for the last four years) began with the words: ‘Cricket. Go figure.’ One is tempted to say that if he can’t work out what is going on, then how can anyone else? And that applies especially to the beleaguered cricket fan. As Playfair is now 70 years old, we could chunter on the sidelines and grumble about how things aren’t as they should be and once were, but actually the real problem comes when you try to define what cricket should be today.

Is it about the longer format? The red-ball game seems everywhere to be under pressure, despite record-breaking Ashes crowds. If a one-sided series can generate that much interest, then surely there is hope. But it needs nurturing, and this summer sees no Test match cricket between 5 June and 1 August. The rhythm of the sporting calendar is something people grow used to. Around the time of publication of this annual, there is always the US Masters, the Grand National and the Boat Race. By the same logic, the first half of July is for Wimbledon, the Open and a Test match, preferably at Lord’s. Don’t break that rhythm or you lose people.

Test cricket does have two new hopes, in Afghanistan and Ireland. For the first time, Playfair contains a players’ register for the Irish squad and it can only be a good thing that the game’s most challenging format has two new nations. They need to be given plenty of opportunities to make their way. A two-division league format would enable this to happen, as well as ensuring that each series had real meaning. If you split the divisions with six teams in each, according to the ICC rankings Pakistan would slip into Division Two. Would a series between them and Sri Lanka (ranked sixth) not be more compelling to fans if the threat of relegation, or the prospect of promotion, hung over it?

If its long history, and the importance attached to it by the players, preserves red-ball cricket, what does the future hold for the 50-over game? Domestically, the Royal London One-Day Cup doesn’t always get much attention, though at least the schedulers have moved it slightly later in the season this year, which should help. At the same time, Eoin Morgan’s limited-overs side is England’s top-ranked team across all three formats. This has been a case where a clear strategy to build up to the 2019 World Cup is bearing fruit. But how much of this is down to a strong domestic supply line, and how much due to the England team operating as a separate entity?

Meanwhile, T20 is taking over the world. It’s instant, it pulls in the crowds, and the TV companies love it, because it is quick and provides lots of wickets and sixes – or should that be maximums? This year, Playfair gives more space to this format than ever before, with three new features: an England T20 career records section, plus coverage of the Big Bash and the Kia Super League. The latter competition, with attendance up 44% on the year before, highlights one area of undoubted progress in the game: women’s cricket is growing and improving fast. While participation in men’s sport – not just cricket, but rugby and even football – declines, women’s cricket is thriving. A full house at Lord’s last summer saw Heather Knight’s England side crowned world champions, and match-winner Anya Shrubsole rewarded with a place on the cover of Wisden.

Playfair hasn’t gone down the same route. Instead, we celebrate another history-maker: James Anderson, who somehow got to the age of 35 without ever appearing on the front. But in a year when he reached the top of the ICC rankings, achieved his career-best Test figures (7-42 v West Indies at Lord’s) and became the first England bowler to take more than 500 Test wickets, his claim couldn’t be overlooked any longer.

As ever, during the season there will be regular updates on www.playfaircricket.co.uk which will highlight career bests as they happen and provide mini biographies of any newcomers not already featured in the players’ register. Pakistan and India will be the main focus of the summer, but I urge readers to go and watch some cricket when they can. If more people did so, then perhaps we would realise that there isn’t so much to figure out after all, as the game will do its own talking.

Ian Marshall

Eastbourne, 14 March 2018

GUIDE TO USING PLAYFAIR

The basic layout of Playfair has remained the same for this edition. The Annual is divided into five sections, as follows: Test match cricket, county cricket, international limited-overs cricket (including Twenty20), other cricket (Ireland, universities, IPL, Big Bash, Kia Super League and women’s international cricket), and fixtures for the coming season. Each section, where applicable, begins with a preview of forthcoming events, followed by events during the previous year, then come the player records, and finally the records sections.

Within the players’ register, there has been some debate with the county scorers over those who are defined as ‘Released/Retired’, as some players are drafted in for a game or two, and may re-appear in the current season, despite not having a contract as the book goes to press. What I try to do is to ensure that everyone who appeared in last season’s games is included somewhere – this way, at least, if they do play in 2018 their details are available to readers. Players’ Second XI Championship debuts and their England Under-19 Test appearances are given for those under the age of 25.

In the county limited-overs records in the Register, those records denoted by ‘50ov’ cover any limited-overs game of 50 or more overs – in the early days, each team could have as many as 65 overs per innings. The ‘40ov’ section refers to games of 40 or 45 overs per innings.

Records are provided for all three formats of the women’s game – Test, limited-overs and T20 – and there is an England women’s register. Fixtures for the Kia Super League are provided.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS

As I say every year, this book could not have been compiled without the assistance of many people giving so generously of their time and expertise, so I must thank the following for all they have done to help ensure this edition of Playfair Cricket Annual could be written:

At the counties, I would like to thank the following for their help over the last year: Derbyshire – Chris Airey, Tom Skinner and John Brown; Durham – Luke Bidwell and William Dobson; Essex – Alastair Cliffe and Tony Choat; Glamorgan – Andrew Hignell; Gloucestershire – Lizzie Allen and Adrian Bull; Hampshire – Tim Tremlett and Kevin Baker; Kent – Thomas Brown and Lorne Hart; Lancashire – Diana Lloyd and Chris Rimmer; Leicestershire – Jen Wilks and Paul Rogers; Middlesex – Steven Fletcher and Don Shelley; Northamptonshire – Tony Kingston; Nottinghamshire – Helen Palmer and Roger Marshall; Somerset – Spencer Bishop and Gerald Stickley; Surrey – Steve Howes and Keith Booth; Sussex – Colin Bowley and Mike Charman; Warwickshire – Keith Cook and Mel Smith; Worcestershire – Carrie Lloyd and Sue Drinkwater; Yorkshire – Janet Bairstow and John Potter.

Thanks to Alan Fordham for the Principal and Second XI Fixtures, and Philip August for the Minor Counties. Philip Bailey once again provided the first-class and List A career records, and he continues to be a huge help in compiling the book, with an eagle eye for detail.

At Headline, my thanks as always go to Jonathan Taylor for his support and encouragement; Louise Rothwell continues to oversee the production process with huge efficiency; Robert Chilver took charge of the Playfair website and ensured it was kept as up-to-date as possible. John Skermer is another long-established member of the team, and did another excellent and speedy job checking the proofs. At Letterpart, the Playfair typesetter since 1994 (so this must be their 25th edition), Chris Leggett and Caroline Leggett ensured the book was laid out superbly.

But my biggest thanks go to my family for their help and patience. Computer and Wi-Fi problems drove me indoors from my office for the final push, which meant that daughters Kiri and Sophia had to be quieter than usual when they got back from school – I think we just about made it work! That we did so was especially thanks to my wife Sugra, who made sure that all was calm. Thank you all.

ENGLAND v PAKISTAN

ENGLAND v INDIA

SERIES RECORDS 1932 to 2016-17

TOURING TEAMS REGISTER 2018

Neither Pakistan nor India had selected their 2018 touring teams at the time of going to press. The following players, who had represented those teams in Test matches since 1 December 2016, were still available for selection:

STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS IN 2017 TESTS

Including Tests from No. 2242 (Australia v Pakistan, 3rd Test) and No. 2244 (South Africa v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test) to No. 2286 (Australia v England, 4th Test) and No. 2290 (South Africa v Zimbabwe, Only Test).

† = National record

Bangladesh one man short in second innings.