Ian Richards (English cricketer)

{{Short description|English cricketer}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}

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

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| country = England

| fullname = Ian Michael Richards

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|12|9|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| heightm =

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium

| role =

| family =

| club1 = Durham

| year1 = 1981–1982

| clubnumber1 =

| club2 = Northamptonshire

| year2 = 1976–1979

| clubnumber2 =

| columns = 2

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 23

| runs1 = 467

| bat avg1 = 22.23

| 100s/50s1 = –/1

| top score1 = 50

| deliveries1 = 372

| wickets1 = 7

| bowl avg1 = 28.71

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 4/57

| catches/stumpings1 = 5/–

| column2 = List A

| matches2 = 11

| runs2 = 53

| bat avg2 = 8.83

| 100s/50s2 = –/–

| top score2 = 18

| deliveries2 = 150

| wickets2 = 2

| bowl avg2 = 76.00

| fivefor2 = –

| tenfor2 = –

| best bowling2 = 1/22

| catches/stumpings2 = 2/–

| date = 31 August

| year = 2011

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/19668.html Cricinfo

}}

Ian Michael Richards (born 9 December 1957) is a former English cricketer. Richards was a left-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.

Richards made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire against Oxford University in 1976. He played first-class cricket for Northamptonshire from 1976 to 1979, making 23 first-class appearances.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} In his first-class career for the county, he scored 467 runs at an average of 22.23, with a high score of 50.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} This score, his only first-class fifty, came against Nottinghamshire in 1976.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/36/36476.html|title=Northamptonshire v Nottinghamshire, 1976 County Championship|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} With the ball, he took 7 wickets at a bowling average of 28.71, with best figures of 4/57.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} His List A debut also came in 1976, when Northamptonshire played Nottinghamshire in the John Player League. Richards made nine further List A appearances for the county, the last of which came against Yorkshire in the 1979 John Player League.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/List_A_Matches.html|title=List A Matches played by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} In his ten List A matches for Northamptonshire, he scored 44 runs at an average of 8.80, with a high score of 18.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/a_Batting_by_Team.html|title=List A Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} With the ball, he took 2 wickets at an average of 76.00, with best figures of 1/22.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/a_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=List A Bowling For Each Team by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}}

He later joined Durham, making his debut for the county in the 1981 Minor Counties Championship, playing a match each against Shropshire. He played Minor counties cricket for Durham in 1981 and 1982, making six appearances.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32336/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Ian Richards|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}} He made a single List A appearance for the county in the 1982 NatWest Trophy against Surrey. In this match, he scored 9 runs before being dismissed by Kevin Mackintosh, with Surrey winning by 111 runs.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/42/42548.html|title=Surrey v Durham, 1982 NatWest Trophy|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 August 2011}}