David Wigley

David Harry Wigley (born 26 October 1981,[1] Bradford, Yorkshire, England) is an English former first-class cricketer. He latterly played for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, his third county after previously playing for Yorkshire[1] and then Worcestershire, until his early retirement from the game in 2010. He was a right arm fast medium bowler and right-handed batsman.

For the Welsh politician, see Dafydd Wigley.

David Wigley

Personal information
Full name	David Harry Wigley
Born	(1981-10-26) 26 October 1981 Bradford, England
Nickname	Wigs, Wiggers
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting	Right Handed
Bowling	Right Arm Fast Medium
Role	Bowler
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2000–2003	Yorkshire
2003–2005	Worcestershire
2005–2010	Northamptonshire (squad no. 14)
Career statistics
Competition FC OD T20 Matches 50 24 2 Runs scored 532 34 1 Batting average 13.30 2.83 1 100s/50s –/2 –/– –/– Top score 350 10 1 Balls bowled 7249 822 30 Wickets 136 16 1 Bowling average 36.26 54.37 33.00 5 wickets in innings 4 – – 10 wickets in match – – – Best bowling 6/72 4/37 1/8 Catches/stumpings 22/– 7/– 6/–
Source: Cricinfo, 28 September 2009

Yorkshire

After a number of matches for Yorkshire's Second XI, he made his first senior appearance for the county in a List A game against West Indies A at Headingley Stadium, Leeds, in July 2002, but conceded 38 runs in seven wicketless overs. Wigley made his first-class debut later that month against Surrey at Guildford, but again struggled, conceding 116 runs from 20.4 overs for the solitary wicket of Saqlain Mushtaq.[1]

Worcestershire

In 2003, after a single game for Loughborough UCCE, he was signed by Worcestershire, making a couple of first-team appearances late in the season. He played for both Loughborough and Worcestershire in 2004, captaining the university side, and then spent the winter playing club cricket in Perth, Western Australia.

In 2005, Wigley played three County Championship games in April, but was unfortunate to suffer injury against Lancashire at the end of the month, when his hand was broken by a beamer sent down by Jimmy Anderson. He was sidelined for more than a month, and though he played one-day matches against the Bangladeshis and Essex he was unable to force his way back into the first team.

Northamptonshire

That winter, Wigley moved to Northamptonshire,[2] and in 2006 he was given more opportunities than he had had at Worcestershire, playing in eight first-class and five one-day games. His season was rather mixed: in first-class cricket he took 18 wickets at 44.22, and claimed his first five-wicket haul in taking 5 for 77 against the Pakistanis in July, but in the one-day games he struggled, recording an aggregate analysis of 29–0–181–0. In the 2008 season he was loaned out by Northamptonshire for a single match to Gloucestershire.[3] Early in the 2009 season he found some form in the longer format of the game, when he recorded his best figures with 6 for 42 against Gloucestershire.[4]

Life after cricket

Wigley took early retirement in 2010, after only competing for just over three weeks that summer. A long-term injury, and then a failed epidural injection, meant he was admitted to hospital three times in as many weeks. A drastic loss of weight and strength, plus continued nausea and headaches, meant that Wigley was unable to play enough cricket to gain a new contract, and without further epidural's was not confident enough in his body to continue playing.

Wigley now coaches at the Old Northamptonians Cricket Club in the Northants Premier League, and privately through his own company. He also works for Willis Towers Watson. He's a Divisional Director for the Real Estate Team in London, England.[5] He also does work for Leadingedgesport.com,[6] as a player representative. Wigley has also set up his own business providing employee wellbeing services to corporate companies.[7]

References

1. Warner, David (2011). The Yorkshire County Cricket Club: 2011 Yearbook (113th ed.). Ilkley, Yorkshire: Great Northern Books. p. 381. ISBN 978-1-905080-85-4.
2. Cricinfo Staff (29 September 2005) Northants sign David Wigley Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
3. "Scorecard: Warwickshire v Gloucestershire". CricketArchive. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
4. Wigley 5 Wicket hall Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
5. Davidwigleycoaching.co.uk
6. Leadingedgesport.co.uk
7. WellbeingSport.com

External links

• David Wigley at ESPNcricinfo
• Player Profile: David Wigley from northantscricket.com