Tom Smith (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Christopher Smith, (born 26 December 1985 in Liverpool
, Merseyside
), is a cricket
er who currently plays for Lancashire County Cricket Club
. He has also been a member of the England Academy team. In 2008, he played for Leicestershire
on loan because he was unable to break into Lancashire's first team. He is an all-rounder
, bowling right-arm medium
and batting left-handed. At the start of the 2009 season, Smith was promoted to open the batting
, having previously batted in the lower order, and secured his place there.
Smith received the NBC Denis Compton Award
for the most promising Lancashire player in 2005 and 2006. His Lancashire debut came late in 2005, but he made his big breakthrough in 2006. Smith previously attended Parklands High School in Chorley
and Runshaw College
in Leyland and played for cricket clubs in Withnell Fold and Chorley Cricket Club
.
and James Anderson
who were had returned from England duty – and Smith was unable to break into the side. Smith explained that "I am Lancashire born and bred and I want to play for Lancashire for all of my career. I'm just going to get some cricket and make sure I am ticking over well". He was immediately drafted into the Leicestershire side.
In 6 first-class matches for Leicestershire, Smith scored 228 at an average of 32.57 – including one half-century – and took 13 wickets at an average of 38.23; in the 3 one-day matches he played for Leicestershire, Smith scored 62 runs at 31.00 – including a half-century – and took 4 wickets at 33.00. While playing for Leicestershire, Smith scored his maiden first-class and one-day half-centuries. Batting at number 8 against Warwickshire
at the start of August 2008, Smith scored 63, beating his previous highest score of 49. On 3 August, Smith scored 52 against Yorkshire
while batting at number 6, beating his previous best one-day score of 30.
was impressed by Smith's performances with the bat and ball. Smith's contract with the club was renewed, along with nine other young players who were expected to form the basis of Lancashire's squad in the future. Smith stated his intent to cement his place in the Lancashire side as an all-rounder, saying that "My batting has come on in leaps and I would like to think of myself as more of an allrounder. I batted in the top six at Leicestershire in the limited-over games and at seven in the four-dayers, and I got 50-plus a couple of times and had a run average of about 40. After the responsibility there I know I can do it."
In Lancashire's opening first-class match of the 2009 season, Smith scored his maiden century
. In a match against Durham University
, he opened the batting in the second innings and scored 104 runs from 166 balls, beating his previous highest first-class score of 63. Following this successful innings, Smith was again promoted to open the innings with Kyle Hogg in a one-day match against Glamorgan
. With Mal Loye
absent with a calf injury, Smith scored 66 runs from 90 balls – beating his previous best listA score of 52 – as Lancashire won by 80 runs. Originally a stop-gap opener, when Loye recovered from injury in early June, Smith's success at the top of the order initially kept him out of the team, and even when Loye secured a place in the side again Smith remained as opener.
In mid-June, Smith suffered a side strain which prevented him from playing for six weeks. By this point of the season, Smith had experienced success as an opener in the limited-over matches, scoring half centuries in one-day and Twenty20
matches, although his batting average in first-class matches was a disappointing 8.50 from four matches. Moores backed Smith to succeed in the long form of the game, stating "We've backed Tom to do it because it balances our team and he has shown he is a very good player. I think we've seen that in the one-day stuff. I think Tom is playing well. You judge a player on how he's playing. Tom's developing and learning quickly. Technically, he stands up tall and plays up the ground which is what you want your openers to do".
During a Roses Match
in late July, Smith took career best figures of 6/46, his maiden first-class five-wicket haul. Smith and Paul Horton
then proceeded to share in their highest opening partnership in the County Championship. After the match, Smith commented "I am really enjoying the opening role. In one-day cricket especially it is great, but opening in any form of the game I am enjoying". Moores' faith in Smith's batting was further repaid in a match against Hampshire
, when Smith scored 95; however, in the match Smith suffered a stomach strain. This coincided with injuries to Glen Chapple
, Steven Cheetham
, and Sajid Mahmood
and with Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson on England duty, Lancashire's bowling attack was severely depleted. As a stop-gap measure, Tom Lungley
was loaned by Lancashire from Derbyshire County Cricket Club
.
At the start of the 2010 season, Smith managed just 24 runs from his first six innings opening for Lancashire. Consequentially, he was moved to the middle order, where he rediscovered his form. In his second match after moving down the order, Smith scored his maiden century in the County Championship
. After his success, he stated that he would like to regain the opening position. Despite struggling for runs in first-class cricket at the start of the season, Smith was Lancashire's leading run-scorer in T20 cricket in 2010 with 543 runs from 17 matches, nearly 150 runs more than his nearest competitor, Steven Croft. While Lancashire was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the competition, Smith scored three half-centuries including a personal best of 92 not out against Worcestershire
; he finished as the competition's fourth-highest run-scorer for 2010. Smith also claimed 13 wickets in the T20 competition. In June 2010, Smith reached the landmark of 100 first-class wickets when he dismissed Jonathan Bairstow
in a drawn Roses match. At the start of August, Smith was awarded his county cap by Lancashire.
Lancashire failed to progress beyond the group stages of the CB40 but in their final match of the competition Smith scored his maiden one-day century (117). In same match he took 4/48 to help his side to a two-run over Nottinghamshire, and in the process became the first Lancashire player to score a century and take four wickets in a one-day match.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
), is a 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 currently plays for Lancashire County Cricket Club
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...
. He has also been a member of the England Academy team. In 2008, he played for Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
on loan because he was unable to break into Lancashire's first team. He is an all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, bowling right-arm medium
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....
and batting left-handed. At the start of the 2009 season, Smith was promoted to open the batting
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...
, having previously batted in the lower order, and secured his place there.
Breakthrough
Smith started out at his local team Withnell Fold at a early age and then processed onto Chorley CC and played there with his younger brother Billy Smith for most of his teen years.Smith received the NBC Denis Compton Award
NBC Denis Compton Award
The NBC Denis Compton Award is an annual award given to 'The Most Promising Young Player' at each of the 18 English first-class counties. A player may receive the award more than once.-History:...
for the most promising Lancashire player in 2005 and 2006. His Lancashire debut came late in 2005, but he made his big breakthrough in 2006. Smith previously attended Parklands High School in Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
and Runshaw College
Runshaw College
Runshaw College is a further and higher education college based at three centres in Leyland and Chorley, Lancashire, England.-History:The college was founded in Leyland when the sixth forms of Parklands High School and Balshaw's CE High School were amalgamated in 1974 to make a sixth form college...
in Leyland and played for cricket clubs in Withnell Fold and Chorley Cricket Club
Chorley Cricket Club
Chorley Cricket Club is an English cricket club based in Chorley, Lancashire, playing their home matches at Windsor Road. The club's first and second teams compete in the ECB Northern Premier Cricket League, while their thirds take part in the more locally based Palace Shield.Gained prominence...
.
Leicestershire loan
Late in April 2008, Smith suffered a thigh injury which prevented him from playing for seven weeks. In late June 2008, Smith signed a contract with Leicestershire – who were in the second division of the County Championship – to play on loan from Lancashire for a month. Lancashire had a full strength bowling attack – including Andrew FlintoffAndrew Flintoff
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England and the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. A tall fast bowler, batsman and slip fielder, Flintoff according to the ICC rankings was consistently rated amongst the top...
and James Anderson
James Anderson (cricketer)
James Michael "Jimmy" Anderson is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Lancashire County Cricket Club and since bursting onto the scene in 2002/03, before his first full season of county cricket, Anderson has represented England in over 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day...
who were had returned from England duty – and Smith was unable to break into the side. Smith explained that "I am Lancashire born and bred and I want to play for Lancashire for all of my career. I'm just going to get some cricket and make sure I am ticking over well". He was immediately drafted into the Leicestershire side.
In 6 first-class matches for Leicestershire, Smith scored 228 at an average of 32.57 – including one half-century – and took 13 wickets at an average of 38.23; in the 3 one-day matches he played for Leicestershire, Smith scored 62 runs at 31.00 – including a half-century – and took 4 wickets at 33.00. While playing for Leicestershire, Smith scored his maiden first-class and one-day half-centuries. Batting at number 8 against 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...
at the start of August 2008, Smith scored 63, beating his previous highest score of 49. On 3 August, Smith scored 52 against Yorkshire
Yorkshire 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....
while batting at number 6, beating his previous best one-day score of 30.
Opening batsman
On his return to Lancashire from Leicestershire, manager Mike WatkinsonMike Watkinson
Mike Watkinson is a former English cricketer who played four Test matches and one One Day International in the mid-1990s...
was impressed by Smith's performances with the bat and ball. Smith's contract with the club was renewed, along with nine other young players who were expected to form the basis of Lancashire's squad in the future. Smith stated his intent to cement his place in the Lancashire side as an all-rounder, saying that "My batting has come on in leaps and I would like to think of myself as more of an allrounder. I batted in the top six at Leicestershire in the limited-over games and at seven in the four-dayers, and I got 50-plus a couple of times and had a run average of about 40. After the responsibility there I know I can do it."
In Lancashire's opening first-class match of the 2009 season, Smith scored his maiden century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
. In a match against Durham University
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....
, he opened the batting in the second innings and scored 104 runs from 166 balls, beating his previous highest first-class score of 63. Following this successful innings, Smith was again promoted to open the innings with Kyle Hogg in a one-day match 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...
. With Mal Loye
Mal Loye
Malachy Bernard Loye , most commonly known as Mal Loye, is an English cricketer who has played first class cricket for Northamptonshire, Lancashire, and England A. Loye is a right-handed batsman, particularly well known for his slog sweep shot against fast bowlers...
absent with a calf injury, Smith scored 66 runs from 90 balls – beating his previous best listA score of 52 – as Lancashire won by 80 runs. Originally a stop-gap opener, when Loye recovered from injury in early June, Smith's success at the top of the order initially kept him out of the team, and even when Loye secured a place in the side again Smith remained as opener.
In mid-June, Smith suffered a side strain which prevented him from playing for six weeks. By this point of the season, Smith had experienced success as an opener in the limited-over matches, scoring half centuries in one-day and 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...
matches, although his batting average in first-class matches was a disappointing 8.50 from four matches. Moores backed Smith to succeed in the long form of the game, stating "We've backed Tom to do it because it balances our team and he has shown he is a very good player. I think we've seen that in the one-day stuff. I think Tom is playing well. You judge a player on how he's playing. Tom's developing and learning quickly. Technically, he stands up tall and plays up the ground which is what you want your openers to do".
During a Roses Match
Roses Match
The Roses Match refers to any game of cricket played between Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Lancashire County Cricket Club. Yorkshire's emblem is the white rose, while Lancashire's is the red rose. The associations go back to the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century...
in late July, Smith took career best figures of 6/46, his maiden first-class five-wicket haul. Smith and Paul Horton
Paul Horton
Paul James Horton is a cricketer for Lancashire County Cricket Club in England and Matabeleland Tuskers in Zimbabwe....
then proceeded to share in their highest opening partnership in the County Championship. After the match, Smith commented "I am really enjoying the opening role. In one-day cricket especially it is great, but opening in any form of the game I am enjoying". Moores' faith in Smith's batting was further repaid in a match against 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...
, when Smith scored 95; however, in the match Smith suffered a stomach strain. This coincided with injuries to Glen Chapple
Glen Chapple
Glen Chapple is an English cricketer. He is an all-rounder, and represented the national team in a One Day International, as well as performing well for Lancashire over many years. He bowls right-arm fast-medium, and is a right-handed batsman...
, Steven Cheetham
Steven Cheetham
Steven Philip Cheetham is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler who plays for Lancashire. He was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and attended Bury Grammar School. Cheetham, who also plays local league cricket for Heywood Cricket Club, made his Second XI...
, and Sajid Mahmood
Sajid Mahmood
Sajid "Saj" Iqbal Mahmood is an English cricketer of Pakistani descent...
and with Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson on England duty, Lancashire's bowling attack was severely depleted. As a stop-gap measure, Tom Lungley
Tom Lungley
Tom Lungley is an English cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler.During his five seasons at the top of the English game, he played for Derbyshire in List A and Twenty20 cricket...
was loaned by Lancashire from Derbyshire County Cricket Club
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...
.
At the start of the 2010 season, Smith managed just 24 runs from his first six innings opening for Lancashire. Consequentially, he was moved to the middle order, where he rediscovered his form. In his second match after moving down the order, Smith scored his maiden century in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. After his success, he stated that he would like to regain the opening position. Despite struggling for runs in first-class cricket at the start of the season, Smith was Lancashire's leading run-scorer in T20 cricket in 2010 with 543 runs from 17 matches, nearly 150 runs more than his nearest competitor, Steven Croft. While Lancashire was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the competition, Smith scored three half-centuries including a personal best of 92 not out against 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...
; he finished as the competition's fourth-highest run-scorer for 2010. Smith also claimed 13 wickets in the T20 competition. In June 2010, Smith reached the landmark of 100 first-class wickets when he dismissed Jonathan Bairstow
Jonathan Bairstow
Jonathan 'Jonny' Marc Bairstow is an English cricketer, who plays first-class cricket for Yorkshire. A right-hand batsman and wicket-keeper he is the son of former Yorkshire and England keeper David Bairstow....
in a drawn Roses match. At the start of August, Smith was awarded his county cap by Lancashire.
Lancashire failed to progress beyond the group stages of the CB40 but in their final match of the competition Smith scored his maiden one-day century (117). In same match he took 4/48 to help his side to a two-run over Nottinghamshire, and in the process became the first Lancashire player to score a century and take four wickets in a one-day match.