Chris Schofield

Christopher Paul Schofield (born 6 October 1978) is an English cricketer, one of the few leg-spinners to play Test cricket for England in recent times.

born 6 October 1978, in Wardle, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Schofield first came to prominence playing for the England Under-19 team, making his debut for them (as a batsman) at the age of 16 in April 1995. However, his career proper began in 1997, when he appeared on a number of further occasions for the Under-19s, and the following winter played for England in the Under-19s World Cup in South Africa which the team won. He finally made his first-class debut for Lancashire against Glamorgan in July 1998, although figures of 0–139 in the first innings were not the most impressive way to begin. (He claimed 2–44 in the second innings.)

1999 saw Schofield become an important member of the Lancashire side, and he played ten first-class games that season, finishing with 29 wickets at 32.79 including his first five-wicket haul: 5–66 against Durham. In 1999–2000 he had a useful tour to New Zealand and Bangladesh with England A, and his good form – combined with the England hierarchy's Warne-inspired thirst for a leg-spinner of their own – led to Schofield's being awarded one of the ECB's first batch of central contracts in 2000.

In May 2000, Schofield made his Test debut against Zimbabwe at Lord's. Despite a crushing England win by an innings and 209 runs, the game was a frustrating match for the leg-spinner as Zimbabwe's ineptitude against the seamers meant that he was not called upon to bowl a ball, and he was out third ball for nought in his only innings. The second Test at Nottingham was better in terms of runs – he made a handy 57 from number eight – but in 18 less than controlled overs he took 0–73.