James Hildreth
Encyclopedia
James Charles Hildreth is an English cricketer who plays for Somerset County Cricket Club
. He attended Millfield School, Somerset. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler. Hildreth represented England
at all youth levels including the 2003-04 Under-19 World cup held in Bangladesh
. He made his first-class debut in 2003 and has been a regular member of the side since the start of the 2004 season.
, Buckinghamshire
, Hildreth attended Millfield
, an independent school
in Street, Somerset
described as a "great nursery of the game [of cricket]". He finished third in the school's batting averages in 2000, with 30.38 and a top-score of 75 not out
. The following season his batting figures were significantly worse—he averaged just 14.30—but he topped the school's bowling average
s with 11.41, his best figures being 4/2.4/2: Signifies the bowler claimed four wickets and two runs were scored while he was bowling. In 2002, Hildreth was one of three Millfield pupils chosen to play in the annual ECB
try-out match. He didn't score enough runs to be included in Wisden's school batting averages in 2002,Wisden's criteria for printing school cricketer's averages are 150 runs or 10 wickets. but his 17 wickets taken at an average of 13.05 rated him as the school's joint highest wicket-taker, and third in the averages. In July 2002, Hildreth made his first appearance for the Somerset Second XI, replacing Peter Trego
who, after scoring 188 runs in the first-innings, left the match due to being called up to the first-team. Hildreth bowled 13.1 wicket-less overs during Warwickshire Second XI's first-innings, and scored 32 in Somerset's second-innings, as they lost by an innings. The following month, he made his List A debut, representing Somerset Cricket Board
against Cornwall
in the first round of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy. Hildreth claimed one wicket during his six overs, and added four runs from number seven
.
Hildreth captained Millfield in 2003, and performed well given the extra responsibility: he finished top of the school's batting averages, his 563 runs coming at 62.55, and trailed only one team-mate in the bowling averages. After a number of games for the Second XI, Hildreth made his debut for Somerset in a National League match against Lancashire
, but didn't bat as the match was abandoned due to rain. A few days later, he scored a century for the Second XI in a three-day match, opening Somerset's second-innings against Sussex Second XI. In mid-September, he made his first-class
debut during a County Championship
match against Derbyshire
, scoring nine in the first-innings, followed by a duck
in the second. In the nine National League matches Hildreth played in 2003, he scored 120 runs at an average of 15.00, with a high-score of 30 against Lancashire at the County Ground, Taunton.
, scoring 101 in an innings described by team-mate Peter Bowler
as "attractive but very orthodox". He added 72 more runs in the second-innings. He passed 50 in three of the four matches he played in June, but didn't score another century in the Championship until September, when he scored 108 while sharing a third-wicket partnership
of 207 with Jamie Cox against Nottinghamshire
. He finished the season with 760 first-class runs scored at an average of just over 40. He fared slightly less successfully in the one-day competitions – he averaged around 30 in both List A and Twenty20 formats. His highest score in the Twenty20 Cup
was the 66 he made against Glamorgan
off 33 balls.
among England run-scorers, making 105 runs. However, after scoring his highest score of the tournament in the first game, 57 against India, his scores got progressively lower, 42 against the West Indies, and he failed to reach double figures against Netherlands or in the semi-final against Pakistan.
during the third youth Test
against South Africa Under-19s
. After scoring 14 in the first-innings, Hildreth top-scored for England in the second, hitting 116 runs off 189 balls
. Despite his efforts—he was the only England batsman to pass 50 in either innings—England lost by an innings and 163 runs. He remained with the squad for the one-day series, but only managed to score four in his only batting appearance, as both the second and third ODIs were washed-out. Hildreth was part of the England squad to compete in the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup. He made his first appearance in the competition in England's second group-stage match, scoring 38 off 30 with 2 fours and 2 sixes against Uganda
. He remained not out
in his next two innings, on 30 against South Africa and 1 Zimbabwe
. In the final league-stage match, he was dismissed for 7 against Pakistan in a low-scoring match that saw England qualify for the semi-finals. Playing against West Indies
in the semi-final, Hildreth scored 27 off 29 balls—one of only four England players to reach double-figures—as England failed to reach their target of 250.
Hildreth's final matches for England Under-19s were playing later in 2004, as they hosted Bangladesh
for three Tests and three scheduled ODIs. He scored 27 and 14 in the first Test, which England won by five wickets. In the second Test, played at Hildreth's home ground in Taunton, he scored 210 in "a near flawless innings with an explosive conclusion" to help England to an eight wicket victory. The score, at the time the sixth highest in youth Tests, was described by Bangladesh's coach Richard McInnes as "one of the best innings I have ever had the pleasure of seeing." Hildreth didn't play in the third Test match, but in his last match for the team he recorded a man of the match performance to defeat the Bangladeshis in the only completed ODI. Batting at number four
as England chased 190 to win, Hildreth scored 53 runs off 42 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six.
. In the second, he made 63 runs, and shared another large partnership with Trott, the pair this time putting on a 155 runs together. Returning to India in January with the England Lions, Hildreth played in four matches, although he wasn't included in the starting eleven for the two Duleep Trophy
matches. He failed to reach double figures in either innings of the three-day match against Mumbai Cricket Association XI, He performed slightly better in the one-day matches, with a score of 7 against Maharashtra Cricket Association XI being preceded by 38 against Mumbai Cricket Association XI and followed by 43 against Saurashtra Cricket Association XI.
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
. He attended Millfield School, Somerset. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler. Hildreth represented England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
at all youth levels including the 2003-04 Under-19 World cup held in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He made his first-class debut in 2003 and has been a regular member of the side since the start of the 2004 season.
Early life and career
Born in Milton KeynesMilton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, Hildreth attended Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
, an independent school
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
in Street, Somerset
Street, Somerset
Street is a small village and civil parish in the county of Somerset, England. It is situated on a dry spot in the Somerset Levels, at the end of the Polden Hills, south-west of Glastonbury. The 2001 census records the village as having a population of 11,066...
described as a "great nursery of the game [of cricket]". He finished third in the school's batting averages in 2000, with 30.38 and a top-score of 75 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
. The following season his batting figures were significantly worse—he averaged just 14.30—but he topped the school's bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
s with 11.41, his best figures being 4/2.4/2: Signifies the bowler claimed four wickets and two runs were scored while he was bowling. In 2002, Hildreth was one of three Millfield pupils chosen to play in the annual ECB
England and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
try-out match. He didn't score enough runs to be included in Wisden's school batting averages in 2002,Wisden's criteria for printing school cricketer's averages are 150 runs or 10 wickets. but his 17 wickets taken at an average of 13.05 rated him as the school's joint highest wicket-taker, and third in the averages. In July 2002, Hildreth made his first appearance for the Somerset Second XI, replacing Peter Trego
Peter Trego
Peter David Trego is an English cricketer who plays for Somerset. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler...
who, after scoring 188 runs in the first-innings, left the match due to being called up to the first-team. Hildreth bowled 13.1 wicket-less overs during Warwickshire Second XI's first-innings, and scored 32 in Somerset's second-innings, as they lost by an innings. The following month, he made his List A debut, representing Somerset Cricket Board
Somerset Cricket Board
The Somerset Cricket Board is the governing body for all recreational cricket in the historic county of Somerset.From 1999 to 2003 the Board fielded a team in the English domestic one-day tournament, matches which had List-A status.-External links:*...
against Cornwall
Cornwall County Cricket Club
Cornwall County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Cornwall and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the first round of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy. Hildreth claimed one wicket during his six overs, and added four runs from number seven
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
.
Hildreth captained Millfield in 2003, and performed well given the extra responsibility: he finished top of the school's batting averages, his 563 runs coming at 62.55, and trailed only one team-mate in the bowling averages. After a number of games for the Second XI, Hildreth made his debut for Somerset in a National League match against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
, but didn't bat as the match was abandoned due to rain. A few days later, he scored a century for the Second XI in a three-day match, opening Somerset's second-innings against Sussex Second XI. In mid-September, he made his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut during a County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
, scoring nine in the first-innings, followed by a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in the second. In the nine National League matches Hildreth played in 2003, he scored 120 runs at an average of 15.00, with a high-score of 30 against Lancashire at the County Ground, Taunton.
First-team regular
Playing in his (and Somerset's) first County Championship match of the 2004 season, Hildreth made his debut first-class century in the first-innings against DurhamDurham County Cricket Club
Durham 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 Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
, scoring 101 in an innings described by team-mate Peter Bowler
Peter Bowler (cricketer)
Peter Duncan Bowler is a former English-born Australian cricketer who played for Leicestershire in 1986, Tasmania in 1986/87, Derbyshire from 1988 to 1994 and for Somerset from 1995 to 2004.-Playing career:...
as "attractive but very orthodox". He added 72 more runs in the second-innings. He passed 50 in three of the four matches he played in June, but didn't score another century in the Championship until September, when he scored 108 while sharing a third-wicket partnership
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
of 207 with Jamie Cox against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
. He finished the season with 760 first-class runs scored at an average of just over 40. He fared slightly less successfully in the one-day competitions – he averaged around 30 in both List A and Twenty20 formats. His highest score in the Twenty20 Cup
2004 Twenty20 Cup
-Semi-finals:-----Final:...
was the 66 he made against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
off 33 balls.
Later career
In April 2008, Hildreth's contract was renewed to 2011, following his most successful season for Somerset, scoring 1147 at 52.14. On 18 April 2009, Hildreth hit his highest ever first-class score with 303 not out at Taunton, becoming the first Englishman to score over 300 runs in an innings for Somerset and scoring the earliest triple century in an English season.England Under-15s
Hildreth's first taste of international cricket came during the 2000 Under-15 World Challenge. He played in all four of England's matches in the competition, opening the batting on each occasion. He finished the tournament trailing only Samit PatelSamit Patel
Samit Rohit Patel is an English cricketer of Indian descent. He plays first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. He made his One Day International debut for England in August 2008, and three years later played his first Twenty20 International in 2011.-Early and personal...
among England run-scorers, making 105 runs. However, after scoring his highest score of the tournament in the first game, 57 against India, his scores got progressively lower, 42 against the West Indies, and he failed to reach double figures against Netherlands or in the semi-final against Pakistan.
England Under-19s
In 2003, Hildreth made his debut for England Under-19sEnglish U-19 cricket team
The English Under-19 cricket team have been playing official Under-19 test matches since 1974. Prior to 1991/92 they were known as England Young Cricketers....
during the third youth Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against South Africa Under-19s
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...
. After scoring 14 in the first-innings, Hildreth top-scored for England in the second, hitting 116 runs off 189 balls
Delivery (cricket)
A delivery or ball in cricket is a single action of bowling a cricket ball towards the batsman.During play of the game, a member of the fielding team is designated as the bowler, and bowls deliveries towards the batsman...
. Despite his efforts—he was the only England batsman to pass 50 in either innings—England lost by an innings and 163 runs. He remained with the squad for the one-day series, but only managed to score four in his only batting appearance, as both the second and third ODIs were washed-out. Hildreth was part of the England squad to compete in the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup. He made his first appearance in the competition in England's second group-stage match, scoring 38 off 30 with 2 fours and 2 sixes against Uganda
Uganda U-19 cricket team
The Uganda Under-19 cricket team represents the nation of Uganda in Under-19 cricket at international level.-Squad:The Under-19 team for Uganda which played in the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was:*Hamza Almuzahim--Captain*Davis Arinaitwe...
. He remained not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
in his next two innings, on 30 against South Africa and 1 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]...
. In the final league-stage match, he was dismissed for 7 against Pakistan in a low-scoring match that saw England qualify for the semi-finals. Playing against West Indies
West Indian U-19 cricket team
The West Indian Under-19 cricket team have been playing official Under-19 test matches since 1974. Future international players to have represented the team include Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Courtney Walsh....
in the semi-final, Hildreth scored 27 off 29 balls—one of only four England players to reach double-figures—as England failed to reach their target of 250.
Hildreth's final matches for England Under-19s were playing later in 2004, as they hosted Bangladesh
Bangladeshi U-19 cricket team
The Bangladeshi Under-19 cricket team have been playing official Under-19 ODI matches since 1997 including competing in the last five World Cups. They have also played eight youth Tests since 2004...
for three Tests and three scheduled ODIs. He scored 27 and 14 in the first Test, which England won by five wickets. In the second Test, played at Hildreth's home ground in Taunton, he scored 210 in "a near flawless innings with an explosive conclusion" to help England to an eight wicket victory. The score, at the time the sixth highest in youth Tests, was described by Bangladesh's coach Richard McInnes as "one of the best innings I have ever had the pleasure of seeing." Hildreth didn't play in the third Test match, but in his last match for the team he recorded a man of the match performance to defeat the Bangladeshis in the only completed ODI. Batting at number four
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
as England chased 190 to win, Hildreth scored 53 runs off 42 balls, with 9 fours and 1 six.
England performance squad and Lions
In the English winter of 2007–08, Hildreth was included in the England Performance Programme XI to train in India, playing two matches against 'Madras Rubber Factory'. In the first match, he scored 136 runs at quicker than a run-a-ball, and put on partnership of 209 with Jonathan TrottJonathan Trott
Ian Jonathan Leonard Trott is a South African-born England Test cricketer. Domestically, he plays for Warwickshire and he has also played in South Africa and New Zealand...
. In the second, he made 63 runs, and shared another large partnership with Trott, the pair this time putting on a 155 runs together. Returning to India in January with the England Lions, Hildreth played in four matches, although he wasn't included in the starting eleven for the two Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
matches. He failed to reach double figures in either innings of the three-day match against Mumbai Cricket Association XI, He performed slightly better in the one-day matches, with a score of 7 against Maharashtra Cricket Association XI being preceded by 38 against Mumbai Cricket Association XI and followed by 43 against Saurashtra Cricket Association XI.
Career Best Performances
as of 14 June 2011| Batting | Bowling | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
| FC First-class cricket First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams... |
303* | Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... v Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor... |
Taunton | 2009 | 2-39 | Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... v Hampshire Hampshire County Cricket Club Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it... |
Taunton | 2004 |
| LA | 151 | Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... v Scotland |
Taunton | 2009 | 2-26 | Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... v Worcestershire Worcestershire County Cricket Club Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire... |
Worcester New Road, Worcester New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :... |
2008 |
| T20 | 77* | Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... v Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
Beckenham County Cricket Ground, Beckenham The Kent County Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in Beckenham, England.... |
2010 | 3-24 | Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... v Glamorgan Glamorgan County Cricket Club Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County... |
Cardiff | 2005 |