Luke Fletcher
 Fletcher in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Luke Jack Fletcher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 September 1988 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2024 | Nottinghamshire (squad no. 19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014/15 | Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | → Surrey (on loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | → Derbyshire (on loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Welsh Fire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Trent Rockets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 23 April 2008 Nottinghamshire v Oxford UCCE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LA debut | 4 May 2008 Nottinghamshire v Northamptonshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 29 September 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Luke Jack Fletcher (born 18 September 1988) is an English cricketer who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium-fast. He played for Nottinghamshire from 2008 until 2024, with loan spells at Derbyshire and Surrey. In franchise cricket, he has played for Wellington Firebirds and Welsh Fire. Fletcher was voted the County Championship Player of the Year in 2021.
Biography
[edit]Fletcher was born in Nottingham and was educated at the Henry Mellish School in the city.[1] He played local cricket for Papplewick and Linby in the Nottinghamshire Premier League before signing for Nottinghamshire.[2]
Fletcher made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire against Oxford University in 2008. His County Championship debut came in 2009 against Lancashire. Since his debut, he has played 130 first-class matches,[3] 123 for Nottinghamshire, four for Derbyshire, and three for Surrey. In his 130 first-class matches to date he has scored 2,169 runs at a batting average of 13.72, with fives half centuries and a high score of 92.[4] With the ball he has taken 409 wickets at a bowling average of 26.00, with best figures of 7/37.[5]
His List-A debut for the county also came in the 2008 season, against Northamptonshire in the 2008 Friends Provident Trophy. Since his debut, he has represented the county in 79 List-A matches.[6] In his 79 List-A matches to date he has scored 505 runs at an average of 20.20, with a high score of 53*.[7] With the ball he has taken 87 wickets at an average of 35.25, with best figures of 5/56.[8]
During the 2009 season, he made his debut in Twenty20 cricket for Nottinghamshire, which came against Durham in the 2009 Twenty20 Cup. From 2009 to present, he has represented Nottinghamshire and Wellington Firebirds in 43 Twenty20 matches.[9] In his 43 Twenty20 matches to date he has taken 58 wickets at an average of 22.68, with best figures of 4/30.[10]
Fletcher played for Wellington Firebirds as a Twenty20 specialist in the inaugural Georgie Pie Super Smash during the 2014–15 season,[11] but his spell in New Zealand was cut short due to injury.[12]
In April 2016, Fletcher joined Derbyshire on a month's loan. He previously had a loan spell with Surrey during 2015.[13]
In July 2017, Fletcher was hit in the head by a shot from Birmingham Bears batsman Sam Hain while bowling in a NatWest T20 Blast match. He was taken to hospital with concussion.[14] Fletcher received stitches for the injury and missed the remainder of the season. He returned to training in November. The incident led to the ECB providing more funding for medical support at county level, including second-team matches.[15]
In 2021 Fletcher took 66 wickets in the first class season, and was voted PCA most valuable player.[16] When The Hundred launched in 2021, Fletcher was recruited as a replacement for the injured Jake Ball at Welsh Fire.[17] In April 2022, he was bought by the Trent Rockets for the 2022 season of The Hundred.[18]
On 16 September 2024, it was announced that Fletcher would leave Nottinghamshire at the end of the season after 17 years at the club.[19][20][21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Archive pictures of Henry Mellish School - gallery". Nottingham Post. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "Papplewick hope to sign deFreitas". Nottingham Post. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2024 – via Newsbank.
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by Luke Fletcher (130)". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Luke Fletcher". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "First-class Bowling For Each Team by Luke Fletcher". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "A Matches played by Luke Fletcher (54)". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "List A Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Luke Fletcher". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "List A Bowling For Each Team by Luke Fletcher". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "Twenty20 Matches played by Luke Fletcher (54)". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ "Twenty20 Bowling For Each Team by Luke Fletcher". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
- ^ Dickinson, Bryan (22 September 2014). "Luke Fletcher joins Firebirds for Twenty20 competition". Cricket Wellington. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ "Injury forces Luke Fletcher to leave Wellington Firebirds". Nottingham Post. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ "Luke Fletcher: Derbyshire sign Nottinghamshire bowler on loan". BBC Sport. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ "Luke Fletcher: Play suspended as Nottinghamshire bowler suffers head injury". BBC Sport. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ Bolton, Paul (24 April 2018). "Fletcher head injury leads to increased medical presence". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ Clark, Peter (24 September 2021). "Fletcher is Championship Player of the Year". The PCA. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ Roller, Matt (5 August 2021). "Jake Ball ruled out of Hundred by injury, Welsh Fire call up Luke Fletcher". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ "The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed". BBC Sport. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "FLETCHER TO DEPART TRENT BRIDGE AFTER REVERED 17-YEAR SPELL". Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ "Seamer Fletcher to leave Notts after 17 years". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ "Luke Fletcher, Nottinghamshire's stalwart seamer, to leave club at end of season". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- Fletcher, Luke (2020). Tales from the front line. Durrington: Pitch Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78531-798-9. OCLC 1224541715.