Paul Jarvis
Encyclopedia
Paul William Jarvis is a former English
cricket
er, who played in nine Tests
and sixteen ODIs for England from 1988 to 1993.
Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked, "Jarvis always had much potential as a well-coordinated pace bowler who skiddied the ball through with considerable venom".
debut at the age of 16 years and 75 days, the then youngest player to ever represent his county, and was tipped for Test stardom but he failed to establish himself as a permanent member of the England team. He played for Yorkshire from 1981 to 1993, winning his first team cap
in 1986, after taking 11 for 92 against Middlesex
. He was the youngest player to take a hat-trick
in the Sunday League in 1982 and in the County Championship
in 1985, but as Yorkshire tired of his constant injury problems, he was released to play for Sussex
from 1994 to 1998. He had 51 victims in 1994 in his first season there, winning his second county cap, but was again plagued by injury thereafter. His experiences at Somerset
from 1999 to 2002 were similar, but he could still be a potent force in one day cricket on his day, as he proved by taking 5 for 55 in the 1999 NatWest Trophy final against Gloucestershire
. He played for Wellington
in New Zealand
in the 1996/97 season, and spent several winters playing club cricket variously in Australia
, New Zealand
and South Africa
.
In 215 first-class matches
he took 654 wickets, with a best of 7-55, at an average of 28.92, and scored 3,373 runs at 16.78, with a best score of 80 for Yorkshire against Northants
in 1992. He played in four youth Test matches for England in 1982 and 1983. His career was hampered by a succession of injuries to his slender 5' 10" frame, but his whippy athletic bowling won him 81 wickets in 1987, and his match winning 4 for 43 in the final of the Benson and Hedges Cup, helped win him selection on England's winter tour of Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia.
His Test debut came in Lancaster Park in Christchurch
against New Zealand
, but although he took six wickets in his first two matches on sluggish pitches, he was dropped for the final test. He returned against the strong West Indies team in the home series of 1988, recording his Test best figures with both ball and bat, with 4 for 107 and scoring 29 not out, at Lord's
. A back injury forced him out of the series, and he was out of Test cricket for a year before returning against Australia for two tests in the calamitous 1989 Ashes series
. After only one wicket (and that to a "drag on" (Geoff Marsh was the batsman)) at Edgbaston
, he was dropped once more and chose to go on the 1989/90 rebel tour
of South Africa
, which saw him banned for three years from the England Test team.
The rebel ban was lifted after South Africa's return to Test cricket, and Jarvis was chosen to tour India and Sri Lanka in 1992-93. He bowled with good pace, and took four wickets in two Tests in a losing cause, as well as securing the man of the match
award for taking 5 for 35 against India in Bangalore
. He was once again a victim of selectoral whim when he was dropped for the final Test against India for Phil DeFreitas, who failed to take a wicket on the tour. Jarvis returned to take 3 for 76 against Sri Lanka in Colombo
, but never played Test cricket again.
While Jarvis's decision to tour South Africa (announced on the final day of the Old Trafford test against Australia in 1989) was widely seen at the time as a disaster for English fast bowling strength, Jarvis's test career up to that point indicated that he was by no means certain of a place in the team - more through selectorial whim than his own performance. His fledgling Test Career had come up against some strong opposition (West Indies and Australia) and he did not have chance to "fill his boots" (as others did) against weaker opposition.
He retired from the game in 2000, and now works in a firm which helps current players find agent representation. In 2009, he was appointed Director of Cricket at Framlingham College
in Suffolk
, having played Minor Counties cricket for Suffolk
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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, who played in nine Tests
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...
and sixteen ODIs for England from 1988 to 1993.
Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, remarked, "Jarvis always had much potential as a well-coordinated pace bowler who skiddied the ball through with considerable venom".
Life and career
A skiddy right arm quick bowler, and tail end right-handed batsman, he made his YorkshireYorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
debut at the age of 16 years and 75 days, the then youngest player to ever represent his county, and was tipped for Test stardom but he failed to establish himself as a permanent member of the England team. He played for Yorkshire from 1981 to 1993, winning his first team cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
in 1986, after taking 11 for 92 against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
. He was the youngest player to take a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the Sunday League in 1982 and in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1985, but as Yorkshire tired of his constant injury problems, he was released to play for 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...
from 1994 to 1998. He had 51 victims in 1994 in his first season there, winning his second county cap, but was again plagued by injury thereafter. His experiences at 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...
from 1999 to 2002 were similar, but he could still be a potent force in one day cricket on his day, as he proved by taking 5 for 55 in the 1999 NatWest Trophy final against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire 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 Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
. He played for Wellington
Wellington Firebirds
The Wellington Firebirds are one of six New Zealand first-class cricket teams that make up New Zealand Cricket.It is based in Wellington. It competes in the State Championship first class competition, the State Shield domestic one day competition and the State Twenty20 Cricket Tournament.The...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the 1996/97 season, and spent several winters playing club cricket variously in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In 215 first-class matches
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...
he took 654 wickets, with a best of 7-55, at an average of 28.92, and scored 3,373 runs at 16.78, with a best score of 80 for Yorkshire against Northants
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in 1992. He played in four youth Test matches for England in 1982 and 1983. His career was hampered by a succession of injuries to his slender 5' 10" frame, but his whippy athletic bowling won him 81 wickets in 1987, and his match winning 4 for 43 in the final of the Benson and Hedges Cup, helped win him selection on England's winter tour of Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia.
His Test debut came in Lancaster Park in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
against New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
, but although he took six wickets in his first two matches on sluggish pitches, he was dropped for the final test. He returned against the strong West Indies team in the home series of 1988, recording his Test best figures with both ball and bat, with 4 for 107 and scoring 29 not out, at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
. A back injury forced him out of the series, and he was out of Test cricket for a year before returning against Australia for two tests in the calamitous 1989 Ashes series
1989 Ashes series
The 1989 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 8 June 1989, England and Australia played six Tests, with the Ashes previously having been held by England since the 1985 Ashes series.The final result was a 4-0...
. After only one wicket (and that to a "drag on" (Geoff Marsh was the batsman)) at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
, he was dropped once more and chose to go on the 1989/90 rebel tour
South African rebel tours
The South African rebel tours were a series of seven cricket tours staged between 1982 and 1990. They were known as the rebel tours because South Africa was throughout this period banned from international cricket due to the apartheid regime...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which saw him banned for three years from the England Test team.
The rebel ban was lifted after South Africa's return to Test cricket, and Jarvis was chosen to tour India and Sri Lanka in 1992-93. He bowled with good pace, and took four wickets in two Tests in a losing cause, as well as securing the man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award for taking 5 for 35 against India in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. He was once again a victim of selectoral whim when he was dropped for the final Test against India for Phil DeFreitas, who failed to take a wicket on the tour. Jarvis returned to take 3 for 76 against Sri Lanka in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, but never played Test cricket again.
While Jarvis's decision to tour South Africa (announced on the final day of the Old Trafford test against Australia in 1989) was widely seen at the time as a disaster for English fast bowling strength, Jarvis's test career up to that point indicated that he was by no means certain of a place in the team - more through selectorial whim than his own performance. His fledgling Test Career had come up against some strong opposition (West Indies and Australia) and he did not have chance to "fill his boots" (as others did) against weaker opposition.
He retired from the game in 2000, and now works in a firm which helps current players find agent representation. In 2009, he was appointed Director of Cricket at Framlingham College
Framlingham College
Framlingham College is an independent, coeducational boarding and day school in the town of Framlingham, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. Together with its preparatory school, Brandeston Hall and Little Bears Nursery it serves pupils from 2 1/2 to eighteen years of age.-History of Framlingham...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, having played Minor Counties cricket for Suffolk
Suffolk County Cricket Club
Suffolk 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 Suffolk....
.