Former Northants,Yorkshire & Somerset bowler
This story was a heartwarming one, an Oxfordshire lad doing well enough bowling at Minor County level whilst working full-time as a salesman. He hadn’t trodden the Academy route so didn’t dare dream of a cricket career.
Trials came and went until Northants signed him – on less money than his sales job paid – and England Lions recognition followed. Then everything changed, partly due to playing alongside Root, Ballance and Bairstow in Bangladesh which brought wider awareness of his bowling and interest from 13 counties.
Both Lancashire and YCCC, whose squads had very different age profiles, courted him for several weeks but the persuasive powers of Martyn Moxon and Jason Gillespie saw Yorkshire win the day …
“Lancashire offered more money but I wanted the challenge of playing for Yorkshire. Choosing them was a great decision because we shared six glorious years, and had lots of fun playing in a top team.”
There was an intoxicating pressure to win, driven by much praised coach Gillespie, which created ‘a special group’ that clinched the 2014 Championship title … “I cried like a kid. There was a lot of emotion from where I had come from, to this.”
The squad, frequently shorn by the absence of Internationals for most of the next season, used it as motivation and (unbelievably?) retained the title. This ‘headband warrior’ forged a great relationship with fans who delighted in him scoring his only century against … Lancashire. Poetry!