Dexter Fitton

{{Short description|English cricketer (born 1965)}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| country = England

| fullname = John Dexter Fitton

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|8|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Littleborough, Lancashire, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| heightm =

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Right-arm off break

| role =

| family =

| club1 = Cumberland

| year1 = 1994

| clubnumber1 =

| club2 = Lancashire

| year2 = 1987–1992

| clubnumber2 =

| columns = 2

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 52

| runs1 = 872

| bat avg1 = 18.95

| 100s/50s1 = –/1

| top score1 = 60

| deliveries1 = 8,391

| wickets1 = 82

| bowl avg1 = 53.15

| fivefor1 = 1

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 6/59

| catches/stumpings1 = 11/–

| column2 = List A

| matches2 = 22

| runs2 = 132

| bat avg2 = 18.85

| 100s/50s2 = –/–

| top score2 = 36

| deliveries2 = 846

| wickets2 = 23

| bowl avg2 = 32.13

| fivefor2 = –

| tenfor2 = –

| best bowling2 = 4/26

| catches/stumpings2 = 4/–

| date = 24 September

| year = 2011

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/12949.html Cricinfo

}}

John Dexter Fitton (born 24 August 1965) is a former English cricketer. Fitton is a left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born in Littleborough, Lancashire.

Fitton made his first-class debut for Lancashire against Hampshire in the 1987 County Championship. He made 51 further first-class appearances for the county, the last of which came against Sussex in the 1992 County Championship.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Dexter Fitton|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} In these matches, he took 82 wickets at an average of 53.15, with best figures of 6/59.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Dexter Fitton|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} These figures, one of three five wicket hauls he took, came against Yorkshire in 1988.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/50/50488.html|title=Lancashire v Yorkshire, 1988 County Championship|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} As a bowling all-rounder, Fitton had some ability with the bat, scoring 872 runs at a batting average of 18.95, with a high score of 60.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Dexter Fitton|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} This score, which was his only first-class fifty, came against Northamptonshire in 1991.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/54/54736.html|title=Lancashire v Northamptonshire, 1991 County Championship|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} His List A debut came against Gloucestershire in the 1987 Refuge Assurance League. He made twenty further List A appearances for Lancashire, the last of which came against Derbyshire in the 1992 Sunday League.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/List_A_Matches.html|title=List A Matches played by Dexter Fitton|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} In his twenty List A matches for the county, he took 23 wickets at an average of 32.13, with best figures of 4/26.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/a_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=List A Bowling For Each Team by Dexter Fitton|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} With the bat, he scored 131 runs at an average of 21.83, with a high score of 36.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/a_Batting_by_Team.html|title=List A Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Dexter Fitton|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} He left Lancashire at the end of the 1993 season.

Dexter was the overseas professional player for the Sydenham Cricket Club in Christchurch New Zealand between 1987 and 1992, scoring over 2000 runs, with a top score of 183.[http://www.sydenhamcricket.co.nz/index.php/teams/career-statistics Sydenham Cricket Club Career Statistics], Sydenham Cricket Club Official Website, Retrieved 15 March 2016 He also took 83 wickets with a best of 5/29.

In 1994, Fitton made a single List A appearance for Cumberland in the NatWest Trophy against Leicestershire. He scored a single run in this match, before being dismissed by Phil Simmons, while in Leicestershire's innings he wasn't required to bowl.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/59/59066.html|title=Cumberland v Leicestershire, 1994 County Championship|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}} This was Fitton's only match for Cumberland, he didn't feature in any Minor counties match for them. He later played club cricket in the Central Lancashire League for Norden Cricket Club, before the League's demise.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11273/all_teams.html|title=Teams Dexter Fitton played for|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=25 September 2011}}