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Leicestershire County Cricket Club

{{Short description|English cricket club}}

{{About|the men's team|the women's team| The Blaze (women's cricket)}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}}

{{Infobox cricket team

| name = Leicestershire County Cricket Club

| image = Leicestershire County Cricket Club logo.svg

| caption =

| oneday_name = Leicestershire Foxes

| coach = Alfonso Thomas

| captain = Peter Handscomb

| overseas = Peter Handscomb
Shan Masood
Logan van Beek

| ceo = Sean Jarvis

| founded = {{start date and age|1879}}

| ground = Grace Road, Leicester

| capacity = 6,000 cricket matches / 19,999 concerts

| first_fc = MCC

| first_fc_year = 1895

| first_fc_venue = Lord's

| title1 = Championship

| title1wins = 3

| title2 = Pro40

| title2wins = 2

| title3 = FP Trophy

| title3wins = 0

| title4 = One-Day Cup

| title4wins = 1

| title5 = Twenty20 Cup

| title5wins = 3

| title6 = Benson & Hedges Cup

| title6wins = 3

| website = [http://www.leicestershireccc.co.uk LeicestershireCCC]

| h_pattern_la = _redborder

| h_pattern_b = _collargreen

| h_pattern_ra = _redborder

| h_pattern_pants =

| h_leftarm = FFFFF6

| h_body = FFFFF6

| h_rightarm = FFFFF6

| h_pants = FFFFF6

| h_title = First-class

| a_title = One-day

| t_title = T20

| a_pattern_la = _greenborder

| a_pattern_b = _greencollar

| a_pattern_ra = _greenborder

| a_pattern_pants =

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Image:LeicestershireCCCFirstClassKit.svg

Image:Grace Road.jpg

Image:Grace Road pavilion.jpg

Image:Car park end.jpg

Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland. The club's limited overs team is called the Leicestershire Foxes. Founded in 1879, the club had minor county status until 1894, when it was promoted to first-class status pending its entry into the County Championship in 1895.{{cite book |last=ACS |author-link=Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians |title=A Guide to First-Class Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles |year=1982 |publisher=ACS |location=Nottingham }} Since then, Leicestershire have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England.

The club is based at Grace Road in Leicester, known as The Uptonsteel County Ground for sponsorship reasons, and has also played home games at Aylestone Road in Leicester, at Hinckley, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Coalville and most recently Kibworth inside the traditional county boundaries of Leicestershire, and at Oakham, in Rutland.

In limited overs cricket, the kit colours are red shirt with green trousers in the One Day Cup and green shirt and green trousers in the T20 Blast. The shirt sponsors in the 2024 season were UptonSteel.

Leicestershire are in the second division of the County Championship and in the north group of the T20 Blast. Their best performances in recent years have come in one day cricket, winning the T20 Cup three times in eight years between 2004-11, and the One Day Cup in 2023.

Honours

{{See also|List of the competitive honours won by county cricket clubs in England and Wales}}

=First XI honours=

:Runners-up (2) – 1982, 1994

:Runners-up: 1972, 2001

:Runners-up: 1992, 2001

:Runners-up: 1974, 1998

=Second XI honours=

:Runners-up: 1961, 1975

+ 1 Bain Hogg Trophy – second XI one-day competition – 1996

History

=Earliest cricket=

Cricket may not have reached Leicestershire until well into the 18th century. A notice in the Leicester Journal dated 17 August 1776 is the earliest known mention of cricket in the county. Soon afterwards, a Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Club was taking part in important matches, mainly against Nottingham Cricket Club and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). This club was prominent from 1781 until the beginning of the 19th century.

=19th century=

Little more is heard of Leicestershire cricket until the formation of the present club on 25 March 1879.

Essex CCC versus Leicestershire CCC at Leyton on 14, 15 & 16 May 1894 was the first first-class match for both clubs. In 1895, the County Championship was restructured into a 14-team competition with the introduction of Essex, Leicestershire and Warwickshire CCC.

=Early and mid-20th century=

Leicestershire's first 70 years were largely spent in lower table mediocrity, with few notable exceptions. In 1953, the motivation of secretary-captain Charles Palmer lifted the side fleetingly to third place, but most of the rest of the 1950s was spent propping up the table, or thereabouts.

=Start of improvement: The late 1950s and the 1960s=

Change came in the late 1950s with the recruitment of the charismatic Willie Watson at the end of a distinguished career with England and Yorkshire. Watson's run gathering sparked the home-grown Maurice Hallam into becoming one of England's best opening batsmen. In bowling, Leicestershire had an erratically successful group of seamers in Terry Spencer, Brian Boshier, John Cotton and Jack van Geloven, plus the spin of John Savage.

Another change was in the captaincy: Tony Lock, the former England and Surrey spinner who had galvanised Western Australia.

=The 1970s and the first golden era=

Ray Illingworth, again from Yorkshire, instilled self-belief to the extent that the county took its first ever trophy in 1972, the Benson & Hedges Cup with Chris Balderstone man of the match. This was start of the first golden era as the first of five trophies in five years and included Leicestershire's first ever County Championship title in 1975. A couple of runners up spots were also thrown in.{{cite web|url=http://qosfc.com/new_newsview.aspx?newsid=609 |title=Queen of the South FC - Official website |publisher=Qosfc.com |access-date=4 May 2013}}

The game when Leicestershire won their first ever County Championship, on 15 September 1975, marked something of a personal triumph for Chris Balderstone. Batting on 51 not out against Derbyshire at Chesterfield, after close of play he changed into his football kit to play for Doncaster Rovers in an evening match 30 miles away (a 1–1 draw with Brentford). Thus he is the only player to have played League Football and first-class cricket on the same day. He then returned to Chesterfield to complete a century the following morning and take three wickets to wrap up the title. To add to that season's success for Leicestershire was a second Benson & Hedges victory.

=The 1980s=

A runners-up spot in the 1982 County Championship brought some respectability, but the decade's only silverware was in the 1985 Benson & Hedges Cup with Balderstone still on board making him the most successful trophy winner in the club's history with six.

=Success in the late 1990s=

Leicestershire won the county championship in 1996, and again in 1998. This was an amazing achievement considering the resources of the club compared to other county teams. This Leicestershire side, led by Jack Birkenshaw and James Whitaker, used team spirit and togetherness to get the best out of a group of players who were either discarded from other counties or brought through the Leicestershire ranks.

This team did not have many stars, but Aftab Habib, Darren Maddy, Vince Wells, Jimmy Ormond, Alan Mullally and Chris Lewis all had chances for England. West Indian all-rounder Phil Simmons was also named as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the year in 1997 while playing for the club.

=2000 and beyond: Twenty20 success and four-day struggles=

The advent of Twenty20 cricket saw Leicestershire find a new source of success, winning the domestic T20 competition in 2004, 2006 and 2011. However, in the era of two-division County Championship cricket they have found success more difficult to come by, having not played in the top division since 2003 and been regular "wooden spoon" contenders. In 2013 and 2014 they finished without a single Championship win, the first team to achieve this unwanted feat in back to back seasons since Northamptonshire just before World War II. Recent years have seen an improvement in first-class results, and in 2023 they won their first trophy for 12 years, beating Hampshire at Trent Bridge to lift the One Day Cup.

Grounds

{{main|List of Leicestershire County Cricket Club grounds}}

=Current=

=Previous=

Players

{{Further|List of Leicestershire CCC players}}

=Current squad=

  • No. denotes the player's squad number, as worn on the back of their shirt.
  • {{double-dagger}} denotes players with international caps.
  • {{Color box|#CFECEC|*|border=darkgray}} denotes a player who has been awarded a county cap.

class="wikitable"
No.

! Name

! Nationality

! Birth date

! Batting style

! Bowling style

! Notes

colspan="7" | Batters
style="text-align:center"|11Sol Budinger{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1999|8|21|df=y}}Left-handedRight-arm off break
style="text-align:center"|17Louis Kimber{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1997|2|24|df=y}}Right-handed—Captain (T20)
style="background:#cfecec;"

|style="text-align:center"|23

Lewis Hill*{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1990|10|5|df=y}}Right-handed—
style="text-align:center"|26Rishi Patel{{cr|England}}{{birth date and age|1998|7|26|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm leg break
style="text-align:center"|—Shan Masood {{double-dagger}}{{cr|Pakistan}}{{Birth date and age|1989|10|14|df=y}}Left-handedRight-arm mediumOverseas player
colspan="7" | All-rounders
style="text-align:center"|6Ben Green{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1997|9|28|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm mediumOn loan from Somerset
style="text-align:center"|8Ben Mike{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1998|8|24|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
style="text-align:center"|16Rehan Ahmed {{double-dagger}}{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|2004|8|13|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm leg breakEngland central contract
style="text-align:center"|22Ian Holland {{double-dagger}}{{cr|United States}}{{Birth date and age|1990|10|3|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumUK Passport
style="text-align:center"|80Liam Trevaskis{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1999|4|18|df=y}}Left-handedSlow left-arm orthodox
colspan="7" | Wicket-keepers
style="text-align:center"|7Ben Cox{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1992|2|2|df=y}}Right-handed–
style="text-align:center"|28Harry Swindells{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1999|2|21|df=y}}Right-handed—
style="background:#cfecec;"

|style="text-align:center"|54

Peter Handscomb* {{double-dagger}}{{cr|Australia}}{{Birth date and age|1991|4|26|df=y}}Right-handed—Club captain;
Overseas player
colspan="7" | Bowlers
style="text-align:center"|18Matt Salisbury{{cr|England}}{{birth date and age|1993|4|18|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
style="text-align:center"|19Sam Wood{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|2004|9|11|df=y}}Left-handedRight-arm fast-medium
style="text-align:center"|20Josh Hull {{double-dagger}}{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|2004|8|20|df=y}}Left-handedLeft-arm fast-mediumEngland development contract
style="background:#cfecec;"

|style="text-align:center"|31

Chris Wright*{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1985|7|14|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
style="text-align:center"|43Alex Green{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|2007|2|24|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
style="text-align:center"|49Roman Walker{{cr|Wales}}{{Birth date and age|2000|8|6|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
style="text-align:center"|87Logan van Beek {{double-dagger}}{{cr|Netherlands}}{{Birth date and age|1990|9|7|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumOverseas player
style="text-align:center"|88Tom Scriven{{cr|England}}{{Birth date and age|1998|11|18|df=y}}Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium

Former captains

{{See also|List of Leicestershire cricket captains}}

International players

{{col-begin}}

{{col-4}}

England

{{col-4}}

{{col-4}}

Australia

Bangladesh

India

New Zealand

Pakistan

{{col-4}}

South Africa

West Indies

Zimbabwe

{{col-end}}

File:Leicestershire CCC squad 2007.jpg

Records

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

Most first-class runs for Leicestershire

Qualification – 17,000 runs{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/England/Firstclass/Leicestershire/Batting_Records/Most_Career_Runs.html |title=The Home of CricketArchive |publisher=Cricketarchive.com |access-date=4 May 2013}}

class="wikitable"
style="background:#bdb76b;"

! Player!!Runs

Les Berry30,143
Maurice Hallam23,662
John King22,618
Cecil Wood21,872
Ewart Astill19,879
Norman Armstrong19,001
Nigel Briers18,726
Maurice Tompkin18,590
Brian Davison18,537
Albert Knight18,142
Chris Balderstone17,627
Samuel Coe17,367

{{col-break}}

Most first-class wickets for Leicestershire

Qualification – 600 wickets{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/England/Firstclass/Leicestershire/Bowling_Records/Most_Career_Wickets.html |title=The Home of CricketArchive |publisher=Cricketarchive.com |access-date=4 May 2013}}

class="wikitable"
style="background:#bdb76b;"

! Player!!Wickets

Ewart Astill2,131
George Geary1,759
Terry Spencer1,320
Jack Walsh1,127
John King1,100
Haydon Smith1,076
Vic Jackson930
Jack Birkenshaw908
John Savage816
(Gordon Parsons) | 809|

|William Odell

650
Jonathan Agnew632

{{col-end}}

Most first-team winners medals for Leicestershire

  • J. C. Balderstone – 6

=Batting=

  • Highest team total: 756-4d v. Sussex, Hove, 2022
  • Highest home team total: 638-8d v. Worcestershire, Grace Road, 1996
  • Lowest team total: 25 v. Kent, Leicester, 1912
  • Highest total against: 761-6d by Essex, Chelmsford, 1990
  • Lowest total against: 24 by Glamorgan, Leicester, 1971
  • Highest individual score: 309* by HD Ackerman v. Glamorgan, Sophia Gardens, 2006.
  • Highest home individual score: 262 by Brad Hodge v. Durham, Grace Road, 2004
  • Highest partnership: 477* by C. N. Ackermann and P. W. A. Mulder v. Sussex, Hove, 2022

Best partnership for each wicket (county championship)

  • 1st – 390 B. Dudleston and J. F. Steele v. Derbyshire, Leicester, 1979
  • 2nd – 320 Hassan Azad and N. J. Dexter v. Gloucestershire, Leicester, 2019
  • 3rd – 316* W. Watson and A. Wharton v. Somerset, Taunton, 1961
  • 4th – 290* P. Willey and T. J. Boon v. Warwickshire, Leicester, 1984
  • 5th – 477* C. N. Ackermann and P. W. A. Mulder v. Sussex, Hove, 2022
  • 6th – 284 P. V. Simmons and P. A. Nixon v. Durham, Chester-le-Street, 1996
  • 7th – 219* J. D. R. Benson and P. Whitticase v. Hampshire, Bournemouth, 1991
  • 8th – 239 L. P. J. Kimber and O. B. Cox v. Sussex, Hove, 2024
  • 9th – 160 R. T. Crawford and W. W. Odell v. Worcestershire, Leicester, 1902
  • 10th – 228 R. Illingworth and K. Higgs v. Northamptonshire, Leicester, 1977

=Bowling=

=Fielding=

  • Most dismissals in an innings: 7 by Neil Burns v. Somerset, Grace Road, 2001
  • Most dismissals in a match: 10 by Percy Corrall v. Sussex, Hove, 1936

Sub Academy

The Leicestershire Sub Academy is designed for young cricketers who have potential to play at the highest level. It is also called the EPP (Emerging Player Programme). Many players who are involved in this set up move on to the LCCC academy, where they will play matches against academies from other counties.

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

External links

{{commons category}}

  • [http://www.leicestershireccc.co.uk Leicestershire County Cricket Club – Official Site]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20171015134120/http://www.friendsofgraceroad.co.uk/ Friends of Grace Road - Supporters' Group]
  • {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120602213203/http://fansonline.net/leicestershireccc/index.php The Meet – Fan's Site]}}
  • [http://uk.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/NATIONAL/ENG/FC_TEAMS/LEICS/ CricInfo Page]
  • [https://cricketarchive.com/Leicestershire/index.html Cricket Archive Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624015621/http://cricketarchive.com/Leicestershire/index.html |date=24 June 2014 }}
  • [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/leicestershire/default.stm BBC Sport Page]

{{Leicestershire CCC}}

{{Leicestershire County Cricket Club Squad}}

{{English first-class cricket clubs}}

{{Cricket in England}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:English first-class cricket teams

Category:Sport in Leicester

Category:Cricket clubs established in 1879

Category:History of Leicestershire

Category:1879 establishments in England

Category:Cricket in Leicestershire

Category:First-class cricket teams