Gareth Cross
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gareth David Cross | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
20 June 1984 Bury, Greater Manchester, England |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting style | Right-hand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium-fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicketkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2013 | Lancashire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Cheshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Derbyshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Cricinfo, 4 May 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gareth David Cross (born 20 June 1984 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English cricketer who plays for Clifton Cricket Club in the Central Lancashire Cricket League. He is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who occasionally bowls right arm medium-fast. He played for Lancashire from 2005 until his release in 2013, and the following year signed for Derbyshire. In 2015 he returned to Clifton as professional having earlier come through their junior ranks
Cross briefly started his cricket at Roe Green Cricket Club in Worsley, before moving to Clifton Salford. Cross made his first-class debut in 2005. Lancashire's stalwart wicketkeeper Warren Hegg retired at the end of the season, and the signing of Luke Sutton in the off-season limited Cross' first-team opportunities. Despite the competition he established himself as a regular in the one-day side, although struggled to break into the County Championship team.
In 2009 Cross captained the Second XI, leading them to the semi-final of the Second XI Trophy. Sutton left in late 2010, leaving Cross as Lancashire's first-choice wicketkeeper. He was part of the Lancashire squad that won the 2011 County Championship and achieved the rare feat of being ever-present in a championship winning side, but left the club at the end of the 2013 season and after a short time with Cheshire in early 2014 signed to play for Derbyshire.
Cross made his debut for the Second XI a week and a half before his 18th birthday, in a game against Durham. He continued to play List A cricket for three years prior to his first-class debut.
Having graduated from Lancashire's Academy, 2005 was Cross' first year with the senior squad. Lancashire's veteran wicket-keeper Hegg was impressed by Cross, and said "He has a really good work ethic, and he listens when you talk about the game. He's the one in line to take over from me." Cross made hist first-class debut on 25 May 2005, along with Steven Croft and Tom Smith in a match against Oxford University. He batted just once in the match, scoring two runs, although he dismissed five batsmen, one by stumping and four caught. His second opportunity to play first-class cricket came in the last match of the season; with Lancashire's stalwart Warren Hegg injured, Cross was given the responsibility of taking over as wicket-keeper. Playing in the County Championship for the first time, according to The Wisden Cricketer Cross "showed enough pure technique to deserve his chance to develop". Although Hegg retired at the end of the season, Lancashire quickly signed experienced wicket-keeper Luke Sutton from Derbyshire, hampering Cross' chances to regularly play first-team cricket. In the 2005/06 Australian cricket season, Cross travelled to the southern hemisphere to play for St Kilda Cricket Club in the Victorian Premier Cricket. He spent most of the season playing for the club's second team.
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