Steven Kirby

Steve Kirby

Kirby warming up for Somerset prior to the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-final against Durham.
Personal information
Full name	Steven Paul Kirby
Born	(1977-10-04) 4 October 1977 (age 39) Bury, Greater Manchester, England
Nickname	Tango
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm fast-medium
Role	Bowler
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2001–2004	Yorkshire
2005–2010	Gloucestershire
2011–2014	Somerset
FC debut	6 June 2001 Yorkshire v Kent
Last FC	20 August 2013 Somerset v Warwickshire
LA debut	8 July 2001 Yorkshire v Northamptonshire
Last LA	9 September 2013 Somerset v Nottinghamshire
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20 Matches 167 104 77 Runs scored 1,320 88 70 Batting average 8.14 4.00 4.37 100s/50s 0/1 0/0 0/0 Top score 57 15 25 Balls bowled 29,166 4,222 1,499 Wickets 572 142 83 Bowling average 28.74 27.90 22.78 5 wickets in innings 17 1 0 10 wickets in match 4 n/a n/a Best bowling 8/80 5/36 3/17 Catches/stumpings 37/– 16/– 12/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 August 2014

Steven Paul Kirby (born 4 October 1977) is an English retired first-class cricketer.

Kirby started his career when he left school at the age of 16, initially on a YTS scheme at Leicestershire County Cricket Club having been discovered in his native Lancashire. While at Leicestershire he had to overcome sacroiliac instability, a chronic bad back, remodelling his action to learn to bowl fast again, but the county released him after five seasons without making an appearance.

Kirby spent the summer of 2000 playing in the Lancashire and Ribblesdale League while working as a lino salesman for West Cotes Flooring in Leicestershire, at the age of 24 he had written to Stephen Oldham director of Yorkshire County Cricket Club's academy asking for a chance to resurrect his cricket career. After a net session Yorkshire offered Kirby the chance of some games in the second XI at the start of the 2001 season and after taking 12 wickets in 2 matches he entered into contract discussion but by June was back at his flooring job again. On 7 June 2001, Kirby received a phone call from Oldham asking if he could come to play for Yorkshire first XI the following day as a substitute for Matthew Hoggard in their Championship fixture against Kent. After being given time off from his day job Kirby took 7 for 50 from 24 overs to win the match for Yorkshire, the best by a Yorkshire debutant in Championship cricket since Paul Hutchison in 1997. His third match saw him face his old county Leicestershire, again Kirby was instrumental in Yorkshire's innings victory with match figures of 12 for 72. By the end of the season, Kirby had taken 47 wickets at 20.85 and played an instrumental role in Yorkshire becoming County Champions for the first time in 33 years. His performances earned him place in the first England Academy squad, based in Australia, in November 2001.

The 2002 season saw Kirby back up his debut season with 37 wickets at an average of 34.10, but Kirby's best season came in 2003 when his 67 first-class wickets at 26.40 in 2003 suggested Kirby was capable of performing at the highest level. His success in the County Championship led to him being selected for the England A side to tour India in the 2003–04 winter.