Simon Ecclestone

Simon Charles Ecclestone (born 16 July 1971) played first-class and List A cricket for Oxford University and Somerset between 1994 and 1998.[1] He also appeared in 1992 in List A cricket for Cambridgeshire. He was born at Great Dunmow, Essex.

Simon Ecclestone
Personal information
Full nameSimon Charles Ecclestone
Born (1971-07-16) 16 July 1971
Great Dunmow, Essex, England
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-pace
RoleInitially all-rounder, later just batsman
RelationsBrother Giles
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1992Cambridgeshire
1994Oxford University
1994–1998Somerset
First-class debut13 April 1994 Oxford University v Durham
Last First-class20 June 1998 Somerset v Essex
List A debut24 June 1992 Cambridgeshire v Northamptonshire
Last List A14 June 1998 Somerset v Lancashire
Career statistics
Competition First-class List A
Matches 46 68
Runs scored 2277 1834
Batting average 35.03 30.56
100s/50s 3/12 3/8
Top score 133 130
Balls bowled 2427 866
Wickets 33 21
Bowling average 36.60 38.14
5 wickets in innings – –
10 wickets in match – –
Best bowling 4/33 4/31
Catches/stumpings 22/– 11/–
Source: CricketArchive, 12 January 2011

Educated at Bryanston School and at Durham University, Ecclestone was a hard-hitting left-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler. From 1990 to 1993 he played Minor Counties cricket for Cambridgeshire, for whom his brother Giles also played and in 1992 he appeared in one List A match, a NatWest Trophy match against Northamptonshire.[2]

In 1994, he was at Oxford University and in addition to appearing in first-class matches for the university side, he also played in one List A match for the Combined Universities cricket team. He won a blue by appearing in the annual University Match against Cambridge University. After the university cricket season was over, he appeared in a handful of List A and first-class matches for Somerset. In 1995, he appeared irregularly in Somerset's first team in both County Championship and one-day matches, but in 1996, he became a regular in List A games and made two centuries in them. In a Benson and Hedges Cup match against Middlesex he made an unbeaten 112 and put on 188 for the second wicket with Mark Lathwell.[3] Little over a week later he made 130 in a 40-over Sunday League game against Surrey, this time putting on 183 for the second wicket with Peter Bowler and hitting 11 fours and 5 sixes.[4]

In 1997, Ecclestone played first-class matches more regularly for Somerset and also deputised as captain when Bowler was injured. He himself suffered a knee injury in the match against Kent when he was captaining the side, but he returned after retiring hurt in the first innings and made 123, his only County Championship century, and followed that with 94 in the second innings.[5] Earlier in the same season he had made 133, his highest first-class score, in the match against Oxford University.[6] He also scored 102 not out against the Pakistan A side that toured England playing first-class matches in 1997.[7] In the season as a whole, he made 951 first-class runs at an average of 45.28 and was awarded his Somerset county cap.[8] The journalist David Foot, writing in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, suggested that Ecclestone had "a future in captaincy".[9]

But that did not happen. In 1998, Ecclestone's knee injury got worse and restricted him to just five first-class games and five List A matches. He was forced to retire from cricket at the end of the season.

Since retirement, Ecclestone has appeared in occasional minor matches and in 2002 he toured Malaysia and Singapore as a member of a Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) side.

References
  1. "Simon Ecclestone". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  2. "Scorecard: Northamptonshire v Cambridgeshire". www.cricketarchive.com. 24 June 1992. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  3. "Scorecard: Middlesex v Somerset". www.cricketarchive.com. 26 April 1996. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  4. "Scorecard: Somerset v Surrey". www.cricketarchive.com. 5 May 1996. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  5. "Scorecard: Somerset v Kent". www.cricketarchive.com. 20 August 1997. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  6. "Scorecard: Somerset v Oxford University". www.cricketarchive.com. 28 June 1997. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  7. "Scorecard: Somerset v Pakistan A". www.cricketarchive.com. 19 July 1997. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  8. "First-class Batting and Fielding in each Season by Simon Ecclestone". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  9. "Somerset in 1997". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (1998 ed.). Wisden. p. 597.
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