Duncan Spencer Explained

Duncan Spencer
Country:England
Fullname:Duncan John Spencer
Birth Date:5 April 1972
Birth Place:Nelson, Lancashire, England
Heightcm:172
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm fast
Role:All rounder
Club1:Kent
Year1:1993–1994
Club2:Western Australia
Club3:Sussex
Year3:2006
Club4:Buckinghamshire
Year4:2006
Columns:2
Column1:First-class
Matches1:16
Runs1:233
Bat Avg1:14.56
100S/50S1:0/1
Top Score1:75
Deliveries1:2,094
Wickets1:36
Bowl Avg1:39.22
Fivefor1:0
Tenfor1:0
Best Bowling1:4/31
Catches/Stumpings1:10/–
Column2:List A
Matches2:20
Runs2:79
Bat Avg2:9.87
100S/50S2:0/0
Top Score2:17
Deliveries2:843
Wickets2:23
Bowl Avg2:29.56
Fivefor2:0
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:4/35
Catches/Stumpings2:5/–
Source:https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/duncan-spencer-20303 CricInfo
Date:24 June
Year:2022

Duncan Spencer (born 5 April 1972) is a former English cricketer. Born in Nelson, Lancashire, the family moved to Perth in Western Australia when he was five years old and Spencer played Western Australian grade cricket.[1] He played as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. After playing aged group cricket for Western Australia in 1989, Spencer's first high-profile cricket appearances came in two one-day matches for Western Australia against a touring England A side in March 1994.

Spencer's List A and first-class cricket debuts came for Kent County Cricket Club in 1993. He made five List A and two first-class matches for the side during the season before signing for Western Australia in time for the 1994–95 Sheffield Shield. After playing in the majority of the side's matches during the Shield season, in 1994 he returned to Kent, playing a further four County Championship matches and in the county's List A side.[2] Spencer dropped out of the county game with back trouble, but not before Sir Vivian Richards rated Spencer as the fastest bowler he had ever faced.[3]

After six years out of the Western Australian side, he returned to play six one-day matches for WA in the 2000/01 season and after the last of these matches, he returned a positive drug test for the anabolic steroid performance-enhancing drug nandrolone. He was found guilty and suspended from all competitive cricket for 18 months. Spencer claimed that it was taken to relieve the pain caused by chronic back injuries.[4]

Spencer returned to sign for Sussex at the age of 34, signing for the start of the 2006 County Championship season. He played just one Championship match following his return, moving to Minor Counties side Buckinghamshire during the second half of the season. He was on the losing side of the 2006 Minor Counties Championship final.[2]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/duncan-spencer-20303 Duncan Spencer
  2. https://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/4/4657/4657.html Duncan Spencer
  3. Smyth R (2016) Recalling Duncan Spencer, the cricketer who lived fast and bowled even faster, The Guardian, 16 September 2016. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  4. Polack J (2001) Spencer outed for eighteen months, CricInfo, 19 April 2001. Retrieved 2022-06-24.