Luke Fletcher Explained

Luke Fletcher
Country:England
Fullname:Luke Jack Fletcher
Birth Date:18 September 1988
Birth Place:Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
Heightft:6
Heightinch:6
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm medium-fast
Club1:Nottinghamshire
Clubnumber1:19
Club2:Wellington
Year2:2014
Club3:Surrey (on loan)
Year3:2015
Club4:Derbyshire (on loan)
Year4:2016
Club5:Welsh Fire
Year5:2021
Club6:Trent Rockets
Year6:2022
Type1:FC
Debutdate1:23 April
Debutyear1:2008
Debutfor1:Nottinghamshire
Debutagainst1:Oxford UCCE
Type2:LA
Debutdate2:4 May
Debutyear2:2008
Debutfor2:Nottinghamshire
Debutagainst2:Northamptonshire
Columns:3
Column1:FC
Matches1:147
Runs1:2,348
Bat Avg1:13.97
100S/50S1:0/7
Top Score1:92
Deliveries1:24,673
Wickets1:452
Bowl Avg1:26.03
Fivefor1:10
Tenfor1:1
Best Bowling1:7/37
Catches/Stumpings1:31/–
Column2:LA
Matches2:85
Runs2:513
Bat Avg2:19.00
100S/50S2:0/1
Top Score2:53*
Deliveries2:3,509
Wickets2:93
Bowl Avg2:35.26
Fivefor2:1
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:5/56
Catches/Stumpings2:13/–
Column3:T20
Matches3:109
Runs3:185
Bat Avg3:6.85
100S/50S3:0/0
Top Score3:27
Deliveries3:2,163
Wickets3:120
Bowl Avg3:25.46
Fivefor3:2
Tenfor3:0
Best Bowling3:5/32
Catches/Stumpings3:12/–
Date:14 August
Year:2024
Source:http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/297592.html ESPNcricinfo

Luke Jack Fletcher (born 18 September 1988) is an English cricketer who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium-fast. He has played for Nottinghamshire since 2008, 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

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 replaced 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]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. News: Archive pictures of Henry Mellish School - gallery. Nottingham Post. 10 April 2015. 18 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20150413014849/http://www.nottinghampost.com/pictures/Archive-pictures-Henry-Mellish-School-gallery/pictures-26312821-detail/pictures.html. 13 April 2015. dead.
  2. News: Papplewick hope to sign deFreitas. Nottingham Post. Newsbank. 7 March 2009. 14 March 2024.
  3. Web site: First-Class Matches played by Luke Fletcher (130). cricketarchive.com. 28 September 2021.
  4. Web site: First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Luke Fletcher. cricketarchive.com. 28 September 2021.
  5. Web site: First-class Bowling For Each Team by Luke Fletcher. cricketarchive.com. 28 September 2021.
  6. Web site: A Matches played by Luke Fletcher (54). cricketarchive.com. 28 September 2021.
  7. Web site: List A Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Luke Fletcher. cricketarchive.com. 28 September 2021.
  8. Web site: List A Bowling For Each Team by Luke Fletcher. cricketarchive.com. 28 September 2021.
  9. Web site: Twenty20 Matches played by Luke Fletcher (54). cricketarchive.com. 18 December 2016.
  10. Web site: Twenty20 Bowling For Each Team by Luke Fletcher. cricketarchive.com. 18 December 2016.
  11. News: Dickinson. Bryan. Luke Fletcher joins Firebirds for Twenty20 competition. 28 April 2016. Cricket Wellington. 22 September 2014.
  12. News: Injury forces Luke Fletcher to leave Wellington Firebirds. 28 April 2016. Nottingham Post. 25 November 2014.
  13. News: Luke Fletcher: Derbyshire sign Nottinghamshire bowler on loan. 27 April 2016. BBC Sport. 15 April 2016.
  14. News: Luke Fletcher: Play suspended as Nottinghamshire bowler suffers head injury. 9 July 2017. BBC Sport. 9 July 2017.
  15. Web site: Fletcher head injury leads to increased medical presence . Paul . Bolton . ESPNcricinfo . 24 April 2018 . 28 September 2021.
  16. Web site: Clark. Peter. 2021-09-24. Fletcher is Championship Player of the Year. 2021-09-28. The PCA. en-US.
  17. Web site: Roller. Matt. 5 August 2021. Jake Ball ruled out of Hundred by injury, Welsh Fire call up Luke Fletcher. 2021-09-28. ESPNcricinfo. en.
  18. Web site: The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed . BBC Sport . 5 April 2022.