Karl Brown (cricketer)

Karl Robert Brown (born 17 May 1988 in Atherton, Greater Manchester) is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who plays for Lancashire. Brown made his first-class debut in 2006 and his list A debut the following year. Between 2005 and 2007, Brown played 15 Youth One Day Internationals. In 2011, Brown scored his maiden centuries in first-class and list A cricket and debuted for Lancashire in twenty20s.

He was one half of his home town team's youngest opening partnership when he opened on 31 May 2003 for Atherton Cricket Club's First XI. Brown's career with Lancashire stretches back to 2003, when, as a 15-year-old, he made his Second XI debut in a defeat against Somerset Second XI. In 2005 Brown moved to Northern and helped them to their Premier League championship success that year. He moved again for the 2007 season to Milnrow, following career advice to gain experience as a nominated club professional.

Brown has played twelve Youth One-Day Internationals, making a top score of 109 in one such match. He has been awarded the Man of the Match trophy on two occasions for the England Under-19 team, once thanks to a speedy half-century, and secondly thanks to a one-man batting onslaught in a rain-affected defeat against the Indian Under-19 squad, the match in which he scored his maiden century.

On 11 May 2006, Brown made his first-class debut. The match was against Durham University and, alongside veteran Iain Sutcliffe, he opened the batting for Lancashire. He scored 2 and 32. It was the only match Brown played for Lancashire's first team that year. The next year, he made his list a (one-day) debut; playing against Worcestershire on 22 April 2007, he came in at the fall of Lancashire's first wicket and was dismissed for one run. Brown has struggled to cement a regular place in the Lancashire side, and between 2006 and 2009 he played just seven first-class matches, scoring 156 runs with a high score of 40, and five one-day appearances, managing 72 runs with a highest score of 41.