Graham Napier
Encyclopedia
Graham Richard Napier is an English
cricket
er. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium fast
bowler.
Napier has played first-class cricket for his home county of Essex
since the outset of his senior career in 1997. Between 1997 and 1999 Napier played in four Youth Test matches in England against Zimbabwe
, South Africa
(twice) and Australia
's respective under-19 teams. He was also a member of the 1998 U-19 Cricket World Cup-winning squad. Was on the books of Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper and played for a season on loan at Felixstowe Town.
In a Twenty20
cup match against Sussex
on 24 June 2008, Napier scored 152 not out from 58 balls. The innings set a number of records, notably the highest individual score in a T20 innings in England, and in the domestic Twenty20 competition; the highest number of sixes in an individual Twenty20 innings (16); the most runs scored in boundaries in an individual Twenty20 innings (136 runs, scored as 10 fours, and 16 sixes). It also broke the record for most sixes in a domestic one-day innings, and tied the record for most sixes in any domestic innings, tying the record set by Andrew Symonds
, during a County Championship
game in 1995.
He was signed by the Mumbai Indians for the 2009 IPL Season for an undisclosed amount.
In March 2009, Napier was called up to the England Lions squad for the first time since 2004. Geoff Miller
, one of the selectors, said "the selectors felt this was a good opportunity for us to have a closer look at him within the England set-up".
On 1 May 2009, Napier was confirmed as a member of the 15 man England squad for the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup on the same day as he made his first appearance for the Mumbai Indians.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium fast
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
bowler.
Napier has played first-class cricket for his home county of Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
since the outset of his senior career in 1997. Between 1997 and 1999 Napier played in four Youth Test matches in England against Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean U-19 cricket team
The Zimbabwe Under-19 cricket team represents the nation of Zimbabwe in Under-19 cricket at international level.-Squad:The Under-19 team for Zimbabwe , which played in 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, is as follows:*Sean Williams [Captain]...
, South Africa
South African U-19 cricket team
The South African Under-19 cricket team have been playing official Under-19 test matches since 1995. International players to have represented the team include Wayne Parnell, Neil McKenzie, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini and Craig Kieswetter, who now plays for England.The Under-19...
(twice) and Australia
Australian U-19 cricket team
The Australian Under-19 cricket team have been playing official Under-19 test matches since 1978. Former captains include Stuart Law, Damien Martyn, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz and Cameron White who have all gone on to play international cricket for Australia....
's respective under-19 teams. He was also a member of the 1998 U-19 Cricket World Cup-winning squad. Was on the books of Ipswich Town as a goalkeeper and played for a season on loan at Felixstowe Town.
Playing Style
Graham Napier is a fast-medium bowler, whose stock delivery reaches between 85mph-90mph. Napier has displayed a slower ball in Twenty20 games which has proved hard to spot. As a batsman, Napier can be among the most deadly not only in domestic cricket but in world cricket also. He has twice hit 16 sixes in an innings, once in a Twenty20 match, and once in a County Championship match. His fielding has been known to be slightly below par, but it can be put down to the fact that Napier is very injury prone and he cannot afford to throw himself around.Twenty 20
Napier participated in the 2003, 2004 and 2006 Twenty20 Cups, in which he aided his Essex team to the 2004 Quarter Finals.In a Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
cup match against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
on 24 June 2008, Napier scored 152 not out from 58 balls. The innings set a number of records, notably the highest individual score in a T20 innings in England, and in the domestic Twenty20 competition; the highest number of sixes in an individual Twenty20 innings (16); the most runs scored in boundaries in an individual Twenty20 innings (136 runs, scored as 10 fours, and 16 sixes). It also broke the record for most sixes in a domestic one-day innings, and tied the record for most sixes in any domestic innings, tying the record set by Andrew Symonds
Andrew Symonds
Andrew Symonds is a former Australian cricket team all-rounder. A two-time World Cup winner, Symonds is a right-handed middle order batsman and alternates between medium pace and off-spin bowling....
, during a County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
game in 1995.
He was signed by the Mumbai Indians for the 2009 IPL Season for an undisclosed amount.
In March 2009, Napier was called up to the England Lions squad for the first time since 2004. Geoff Miller
Geoff Miller
Geoffrey Miller is an English former cricketer, who played in thirty four Tests and twenty five ODIs for England from 1976 to 1984...
, one of the selectors, said "the selectors felt this was a good opportunity for us to have a closer look at him within the England set-up".
On 1 May 2009, Napier was confirmed as a member of the 15 man England squad for the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup on the same day as he made his first appearance for the Mumbai Indians.
First class
On 19 May 2011, Napier equalled the record for most sixes scored in a first-class innings. He hit 16 sixes as part of a 130-ball 196 for Essex. It was his first first class innings for 11 months, after being sidelined with a back injury. He hit 103 runs from the last 29 balls of his innings. After his innings, Napier told BBC Essex that he considers himself as mainly a bowler.External links
- Graham Napier at Cricket Archive
- Graham Napier's Official Website