Unicorns cricket team
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| One-day name: | Unicorns |
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| Captain: | Chris Whittock 2016 |
| Coach: | Philip Oliver |
| Founded: | 2010 |
| Home ground: |
Arundel Castle Chester Road North, Kidderminster Colwyn Bay Dean Park, Bournemouth Sir Paul Getty's Ground, Wormsley The Maer Ground, Exmouth |
Unicorns is a cricket team in England that was formed in 2010 specifically to play in the Clydesdale Bank 40 limited overs competition. They played in that competition until 2013 and since 2014 the Unicorns team has competed in the Second XI one-day and Twenty20 competitions. The 2014 season also included a 50-over match against Sri Lanka A. Members of the squad are all players without current full-time contracts with one of the regular first-class counties.
In only their sixth competitive game, Unicorns entered the record books for scoring the highest total in the second innings of a 40-over game, beating Sussex by successfully chasing 325.
Provisionally called the ECB Recreation XI, the squad was selected by coach Philip Oliver, Mark Alleyne and Min Patel from a pool of 200 players recommended to the England and Wales Cricket Board in December 2009; the pool was reduced to 40 and 21 following training sessions over the winter. 15 members of the squad are former county cricket professionals. Team Manager Gordon Child said, "The Unicorns squad is a balance of youth and experience...For the younger players aspiring to play first-class cricket this is an opportunity to learn from their more experienced team mates and really test themselves and understand the attributes needed to succeed at this level." The squad is captained by experienced professional Keith Parsons, the former Somerset all-rounder, who was playing Minor Counties cricket for Cornwall.
Unicorns played in Group A of the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40, along with Glamorgan, Lancashire, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Worcestershire; The competition was created for the 18 first-class counties, plus Scotland, Ireland and a Recreational XI based on players from the Minor Counties. Ireland declined to compete, thus leaving the competition one team short for the proposed three groups of seven format; The Netherlands took their place. Unicorns were created to play representing the Minor Counties, thus giving a new opportunity for younger players to gain experience and to learn from experienced professionals. Unicorns have no fixed stadium, but will play their home games at six different outgrounds (stadiums with occasional use by first-class counties).
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