Ben Spendlove
Benjamin Lee Spendlove (born November 4, 1978 in Belper, Derbyshire)[1] was a professional English cricketer.
Early life
[edit]A student of Trent College in Long Eaton, Spendlove became a cricket player via originally playing rugby. His father, Lee, was a groundsman at a local cricket club.[2]
Career
[edit]A right-handed batsman who also bowled off-breaks, Spendlove made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1997 season.[3] Considered a promising prospect[4][5], Spendlove would win the Denis Compton Award as the county's most promising young player in the same year.[6] That would see him called up for England at two youth levels[7], but most notably the Under-19s, where he played two one-day internationals against Pakistan.[8][1][9] He also received praise for his form during Derbyshire's surprise run to the 1998 Natwest Trophy Final.[10]
Despite this, he struggled to nail down a regular place in the team, and was released in 2001.[11] After a few seasons in club cricket, he impressed enough to earn a one-day contract with Derbyshire again in 2004, after which he would play for two more years, leaving again in 2005.[12][13] Across his two spells, he would ultimately play 20 first-class games for Derbyshire, averaging 19.29 and scoring two fifties, along with 32 List A games, averaging 14.30.[1][9]
He would continue his career in the Minor Counties, playing with Cheshire until 2010 alongside his return to club cricket.[14][9]
Outside his county career, he was perhaps best known for attracting media attention by taking two catches for the England test team while acting as a substitute fielder for Darren Gough at Edgbaston in 1998.[15][16]
During the local league years of his career, he combined playing with a job at East Midlands Airport.[15]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Ben Spendlove Profile - Cricketinfo".
- ↑ "Sep 03, 1998, page 27 - Evening Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Sep 19, 1997, page 50 - Evening Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Apr 17, 1998, page 44 - Burton Mail at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aug 16, 1998, page 37 - The Independent at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "The NBC Denis Compton Awards". Cricinfo. 18 May 2005.
- ↑ "Sep 05, 1997, page 41 - The Daily Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Jul 03, 1998, page 40 - Evening Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Derbyshire County Cricket Club". heritage.derbyshireccc.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Sep 05, 1998, page 13 - The Birmingham Post at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Apr 16, 2001, page 29 - The Guardian at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aug 08, 2004, page 87 - Sunday Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Apr 16, 2006, page 63 - Sunday Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Jenny (24 August 2007). "Cheshire seek double at Lord's".
- 1 2 "Spendlove's Edgbaston highlight". 24 July 2003. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "Jun 08, 1998, page 32 - The Daily Telegraph at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
External links
[edit]- Ben Spendlove at CricketArchive (subscription required)
- Ben Spendlove at Cricinfo
