Warren Hegg
Encyclopedia
Warren Kevin Hegg is an English cricket
er. He played County Cricket
for Lancashire
. Although primarily a wicket-keeper
, Hegg was also a handy lower-order batsman, and made several first-class hundreds. He represented England in two Test matches
, however his international career was hampered due to England's selectors choosing Alec Stewart
to act as an all-rounder
. Hegg represented Lancashire for 19 years, captaining them for three between 2002 and 2004. He retired from competitive cricket in 2005.
debut for Lancashire in 1986, and remained with the county for his entire career. In 1989 he set a Lancashire record when he held 11 catches in a single match first-class match; this feat, achieved against Derbyshire
, is the equal fifth most dismissals in a match by a wicket-keeper. One of Hegg's finest moments came on 12 June 1996 when playing for Lancashire against Yorkshire in the semi-final of the Benson & Hedges Cup
. Chasing 251 to win, Lancashire were 97/5 when Hegg arrived at the crease. Further wickets tumbled around him but Hegg scored 81 from 62 balls to help steer his county to victory by 1 wicket from the very last ball of the match.
Hegg played two Test match
es during the 1998-99 Ashes
tour of Australia
when Alec Stewart
was moved up the order to play as a specialist batsman. Following Stewart’s withdrawal from the winter tour of India in 2001, Hegg was recalled to the England squad for that tour and the one of which followed in New Zealand. Hegg never again played international cricket again, and was second choice to the younger wicket-keeper, James Foster
, on the tour.
Hegg was appointed captain of his county in 2002. Under his captaincy, Lancashire finished third and second in the County Championship in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
. Hegg said of his time as captain "It has been a great honour but now the time is right to step down and concentrate on helping the team recapture its position in the first division".
On 15 May 2005, Hegg announced that 2005 would be his last year of cricket. Two weeks before the end of the 2005 season, a delivery
from fast bowler
James Anderson
ricocheted of James Middlebrook
's stumps, dismissing him, and hit Hegg on the thumb. The freak accident forced Hegg's season to end prematurely, and he finished with a total of 951 first-class dismissals, of which 919 were for Lancashire, just six short of George Duckworth
's Lancashire record of 925.
His last official game of competitive cricket was in April 2006 when he played one game for Fleetwood Hesketh (Southport) against Colwyn Bay in the ECB Premier Division of the Liverpool Competition where he scored 3 runs (stumped) and took two catches in the outfield (never kept wicket).
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 played 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:...
for 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...
. Although primarily a wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
, Hegg was also a handy lower-order batsman, and made several first-class hundreds. He represented England in two Test matches
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...
, however his international career was hampered due to England's selectors choosing Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart OBE is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the England cricket team...
to act as 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...
. Hegg represented Lancashire for 19 years, captaining them for three between 2002 and 2004. He retired from competitive cricket in 2005.
Lancashire's first choice wicket-keeper
Hegg made his first-classFirst-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 for Lancashire in 1986, and remained with the county for his entire career. In 1989 he set a Lancashire record when he held 11 catches in a single match first-class match; this feat, achieved 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...
, is the equal fifth most dismissals in a match by a wicket-keeper. One of Hegg's finest moments came on 12 June 1996 when playing for Lancashire against Yorkshire in the semi-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....
. Chasing 251 to win, Lancashire were 97/5 when Hegg arrived at the crease. Further wickets tumbled around him but Hegg scored 81 from 62 balls to help steer his county to victory by 1 wicket from the very last ball of the match.
Hegg played two Test match
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...
es during the 1998-99 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
tour of 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...
when Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart
Alec James Stewart OBE is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the England cricket team...
was moved up the order to play as a specialist batsman. Following Stewart’s withdrawal from the winter tour of India in 2001, Hegg was recalled to the England squad for that tour and the one of which followed in New Zealand. Hegg never again played international cricket again, and was second choice to the younger wicket-keeper, James Foster
James Foster (cricketer)
James Savin Foster is an English cricketer: a wicket-keeper who played seven Tests and 11 One Day Internationals in 2001/02 and 2002/03. Foster played his club cricket at Ilford Cricket Club and then Wanstead & Snaresbrook Cricket Club...
, on the tour.
Hegg was appointed captain of his county in 2002. Under his captaincy, Lancashire finished third and second in the County Championship in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
Final seasons
The 2004 season was an unsuccessful one for Lancashire, with the team being relegated to the second division of the County Championship for the first time in its history, despite having started as the bookmarkers' favourites to win the competition. The squad was severely depleted by injuries, at one point eight bowlers were unavailable, and Hegg himself suffered two hamstring injuries which meant he missed several matches, including the final match of the season which the team needed to win to stay in the first division. Following Lancashire's relegation at the end of 2004, Hegg stepped down as Lancashire captain. He was replaced by batsman Mark ChiltonMark Chilton
Mark James Chilton is an English cricketer. Chilton was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Durham University where he won the British Universities tournament in 1997. The same year he made his debut for Lancashire, aged 20...
. Hegg said of his time as captain "It has been a great honour but now the time is right to step down and concentrate on helping the team recapture its position in the first division".
On 15 May 2005, Hegg announced that 2005 would be his last year of cricket. Two weeks before the end of the 2005 season, a delivery
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...
from fast bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
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...
ricocheted of James Middlebrook
James Middlebrook
James Middlebrook is an English first-class cricketer, currently playing for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club. He is an all-rounder, who bats right-handed and bowls off spin.-Career:...
's stumps, dismissing him, and hit Hegg on the thumb. The freak accident forced Hegg's season to end prematurely, and he finished with a total of 951 first-class dismissals, of which 919 were for Lancashire, just six short of George Duckworth
George Duckworth
George Duckworth was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and England....
's Lancashire record of 925.
His last official game of competitive cricket was in April 2006 when he played one game for Fleetwood Hesketh (Southport) against Colwyn Bay in the ECB Premier Division of the Liverpool Competition where he scored 3 runs (stumped) and took two catches in the outfield (never kept wicket).