Kevin Evans (cricketer)

Kevin Paul Evans (born 10 September 1963) is a former English cricketer. Evans was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium-fast. He was born at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. He is the brother of former cricketer and umpire Russell Evans.

Having played for the Nottinghamshire Second XI since 1981, Evans made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire against Cambridge University in 1984 at Trent Bridge. He played two further first-class matches in his debut season against the touring Sri Lankans and West Indians, as well as making his List A debut against Middlesex in the 1984 John Player Special League. First-class and List A appearances were few and far between for Evans between 1984 and 1987, but he eventually broke into the Nottinghamshire side on a regular basis in the 1988 season.

An all-rounder, Evans was able to provide valuable runs down the batting order, though he had mixed seasons and struggles with consistency. His most successful season with the bat in first-class cricket came in 1990 when he scored 738 runs at an average of 46.12, including making his maiden century against Somerset, which followed on from a duck he had made earlier in the match. His batting average mostly stuck around in the twenties and he only had an average higher than thirty in three seasons. It was a similar story with the ball for Evans in his first-class career, with him not taking a five wicket haul until the 1991 season. Typically, his bowling average season-to-season fluctuated in the late twenties to mid-thirties. He took 40 wickets or more in a season on three occasions, with the 1997 season being his most successful with 45 wickets at an average of 28.37 (though he did take 48 wickets in 1992, but at a higher average), which included his career best figures of 6/40 which came against Lancashire. Evans played a total of 161 first-class matches for Nottinghamshire between 1984 and 1999, scoring 4,198 runs at an average of 23.85, with a high score of 104, one of three centuries along with 21 half centuries he made. An able fielder, he also took 111 catches. Evans along with West Indian Jimmy Adams holds the record for the 9th wicket for Nottinghamshire with a partnership of 170. With the ball, he took 364 wickets at an average of 33.23, with best figures of 6/40, one of ten five wicket hauls he took.