Paul Pollard
Encyclopedia
Paul Raymond Pollard is a former English
cricketer
, an opening batsman who played over 300 games in first-class
and List A cricket for Nottinghamshire
before a shorter stay with Worcestershire
. After retiring from top-line county cricket
in 2002, he had one season with Lincolnshire
and appeared twice for them in List A matches. His medium-pace bowling was of the occasional variety, and with it he captured only four first-class wickets. He has also coached, including in Zimbabwe
.
Pollard played for Nottinghamshire's Second XI once in 1985, and a number of further times in 1986 and the first part of 1987, but for the most part was notably unsuccessful, repeatedly being dismissed for low scores.
However, at the start of July 1987 he scored 110 against Sussex
II, and a few weeks later he made his first-class debut against Derbyshire
, scoring 31 in his only knock as Nottinghamshire won the game by an innings. He played four more first-class matches and one List A game that season, his highest score being 59 in the Championship
match against Lancashire
in late July.
Pollard began 1988 in the seconds, but a series of solid scores brought him back into the first team by the second half of May. His best innings that season came in the Championship game at Dartford
in early June: Nottinghamshire had been skittled for 65 in their first innings, and went into their second nearly 250 runs behind Kent
. Pollard responded with 142, his maiden first-class century, and in the end Kent had to scramble for a two-wicket victory.
Thereafter, however, he struggled, and played only two first-team games after June. Pollard ended the summer with just 428 first-class runs from 17 innings, averaging
a mediocre 26.75. In one-day cricket
he fared even worse: four innings produced just 85 runs, with no score over 25.
1989, however, was a considerably happier summer for Pollard. For the first time he was a near-regular in the side, and he passed a thousand first-class runs for the first of three times, averaging a little over 33. He scored two hundreds and four fifties, and in June he had an excellent run of form against Kent, making 391 runs against them in five days.
In the Championship he made 83 and 131, albeit in a losing cause while in a sandwiched Refuge Assurance League match he scored a match-winning 100, then finally he hit 77 to help Nottinghamshire through to the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup
. (He also played in the final, which his county won, but failed personally in making only 2.)
For good measure, he hit 153 in his very next innings, against Cambridge University
. In List A cricket he was also fairly successful, making two centuries.
Pollard played only the first and last parts of the 1990 season in the first team, but thereafter was a regular choice for several years. His best seasons in first-class cricket were 1991, when he scored 1,255 runs at just over 33; and especially 1993, when he achieved a career-best 1,463 runs at 50.44; that year he topped the Nottinghamshire averages.
The 1993 season also saw him make his highest score in first-class cricket, and once again he punished one county particularly: Derbyshire
suffered as Pollard scored 180 and 91 in a drawn Championship match, followed immediately by another 91 in an easy AXA Equity and Law League win.
Thereafter, Pollard's first-class figures were never quite as good again, but in the one-day game it was to be 1995 that would prove his most successful season. He scored 882 List A runs that year, by some distance his highest season's aggregate, and made eight half-centuries as well as a single hundred, an innings of 132*
against Somerset
at trent Bridge
in early June. This century was the culmination of another purple patch: he had made 120 against the same opponents in the Championship a few days earlier, before that 83* versus Scotland in the NatWest Trophy, and before that 75 and 81* against Kent in the Championship.
Pollard's career meandered somewhat for a few years in the late 1990s, and while his performances were far from terrible they were less impressive than might have been expected from an experienced opening batsman: in the three seasons between 1996 and 1998 he scored only one hundred in each of first-class and List A cricket. Seeking a new start he signed for Worcestershire for 1999, but his first summer at New Road
was disappointing, Pollard averaging under 20 in first-class cricket, although he was significantly more successful in List A games, with an average there of 41. The following year he made 123* and 69 in a heavy defeat by Kent, and in 2001 he made 131* versus Durham UCCE
, but a lengthy career with Worcestershire was not to be: in August 2002, Pollard announced his retirement from the first-class game after a series of injuries.
He had one season (2003) at minor counties level with Lincolnshire, for whom he played several sizeable innings, and appeared twice in the C&G Trophy
.
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...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
, an opening batsman who played over 300 games in 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...
and List A cricket for 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...
before a shorter stay with 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...
. After retiring from top-line county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
in 2002, he had one season with Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club
Lincolnshire 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 Lincolnshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
and appeared twice for them in List A matches. His medium-pace bowling was of the occasional variety, and with it he captured only four first-class wickets. He has also coached, including in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
.
Pollard played for Nottinghamshire's Second XI once in 1985, and a number of further times in 1986 and the first part of 1987, but for the most part was notably unsuccessful, repeatedly being dismissed for low scores.
However, at the start of July 1987 he scored 110 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...
II, and a few weeks later he made his first-class debut 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 31 in his only knock as Nottinghamshire won the game by an innings. He played four more first-class matches and one List A game that season, his highest score being 59 in the Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
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...
in late July.
Pollard began 1988 in the seconds, but a series of solid scores brought him back into the first team by the second half of May. His best innings that season came in the Championship game at Dartford
Hesketh Park
Hesketh Park is a cricket ground in Dartford, Kent. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1943, when Dartford played London Counties.In 1956, Kent played Essex in the grounds first first-class match. From 1956 to 1990, the ground held 33 first-class matches, the last of which saw Kent...
in early June: Nottinghamshire had been skittled for 65 in their first innings, and went into their second nearly 250 runs behind 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...
. Pollard responded with 142, his maiden first-class century, and in the end Kent had to scramble for a two-wicket victory.
Thereafter, however, he struggled, and played only two first-team games after June. Pollard ended the summer with just 428 first-class runs from 17 innings, averaging
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
a mediocre 26.75. In one-day cricket
One-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket and in a slightly different context as List A cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day, whereas Test and first-class matches can take up to five days to complete...
he fared even worse: four innings produced just 85 runs, with no score over 25.
1989, however, was a considerably happier summer for Pollard. For the first time he was a near-regular in the side, and he passed a thousand first-class runs for the first of three times, averaging a little over 33. He scored two hundreds and four fifties, and in June he had an excellent run of form against Kent, making 391 runs against them in five days.
In the Championship he made 83 and 131, albeit in a losing cause while in a sandwiched Refuge Assurance League match he scored a match-winning 100, then finally he hit 77 to help Nottinghamshire through to the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup
Benson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
. (He also played in the final, which his county won, but failed personally in making only 2.)
For good measure, he hit 153 in his very next innings, against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
. In List A cricket he was also fairly successful, making two centuries.
Pollard played only the first and last parts of the 1990 season in the first team, but thereafter was a regular choice for several years. His best seasons in first-class cricket were 1991, when he scored 1,255 runs at just over 33; and especially 1993, when he achieved a career-best 1,463 runs at 50.44; that year he topped the Nottinghamshire averages.
The 1993 season also saw him make his highest score in first-class cricket, and once again he punished one county particularly: 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...
suffered as Pollard scored 180 and 91 in a drawn Championship match, followed immediately by another 91 in an easy AXA Equity and Law League win.
Thereafter, Pollard's first-class figures were never quite as good again, but in the one-day game it was to be 1995 that would prove his most successful season. He scored 882 List A runs that year, by some distance his highest season's aggregate, and made eight half-centuries as well as a single hundred, an innings of 132*
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...
against 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...
at trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
in early June. This century was the culmination of another purple patch: he had made 120 against the same opponents in the Championship a few days earlier, before that 83* versus Scotland in the NatWest Trophy, and before that 75 and 81* against Kent in the Championship.
Pollard's career meandered somewhat for a few years in the late 1990s, and while his performances were far from terrible they were less impressive than might have been expected from an experienced opening batsman: in the three seasons between 1996 and 1998 he scored only one hundred in each of first-class and List A cricket. Seeking a new start he signed for Worcestershire for 1999, but his first summer at New Road
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 :...
was disappointing, Pollard averaging under 20 in first-class cricket, although he was significantly more successful in List A games, with an average there of 41. The following year he made 123* and 69 in a heavy defeat by Kent, and in 2001 he made 131* versus Durham UCCE
Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence
Durham MCC University is a cricket coaching centre based at Durham University in Durham, County Durham, England and the name under which the university's cricket team plays....
, but a lengthy career with Worcestershire was not to be: in August 2002, Pollard announced his retirement from the first-class game after a series of injuries.
He had one season (2003) at minor counties level with Lincolnshire, for whom he played several sizeable innings, and appeared twice in the C&G Trophy
C&G Trophy
The Friends Provident Trophy was a one-day cricket competition in the United Kingdom.It was one of the four tournaments in which the eighteen first-class counties compete each season. They were joined by teams from Scotland and Ireland...
.
External links
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...
- Lists of matches and detailed statistics from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...