Craig Spearman
Encyclopedia
Craig Murray Spearman played 19 Tests
and 51 One Day Internationals for New Zealand
from 1995 - 2001.
A right-handed opening batsman, Spearman made his international debut for New Zealand in a Test Match
in December 1995 against Pakistan at Christchurch. He was never able to secure his spot in the side and only scored one Test hundred, an innings of 112 against Zimbabwe.
After giving up on his international career, he moved to England
in 2001 to pursue a career in banking. However after meeting with fellow New Zealander, John Bracewell
, he was asked to play for the team he was coaching, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
. Spearman immediately became a favourite in Bristol, when he hit a century in his first match.
In 2004 he hit 341 against Middlesex at Gloucester. His innings contained 40 fours and six sixes and was the highest ever score by a Gloucestershire batsman, beating the record of WG Grace.http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/England/Firstclass/Gloucestershire/Batting_Records/Highest_Innings_For.html Since then he has continued to score runs and has gone on to add two more double centuries.
During a game against Oxford in 2005 he hit 34 runs off an over.http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wisdencricketer/content/story/214551.html
In 2006 he became just the 4th player from his county to score a century in both innings against Northamptonshire. He finished the year with 1370 runs in the Championship.
In 2009, he made only six Championship appearances with 206 runs at 22.88, and at the end of the year agreed to be released from his contract
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and 51 One Day Internationals for New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
from 1995 - 2001.
A right-handed opening batsman, Spearman made his international debut for New Zealand in a Test Match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in December 1995 against Pakistan at Christchurch. He was never able to secure his spot in the side and only scored one Test hundred, an innings of 112 against Zimbabwe.
After giving up on his international career, he moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 2001 to pursue a career in banking. However after meeting with fellow New Zealander, John Bracewell
John Bracewell
John Garry Bracewell is a New Zealand cricketer and coach. He played 41 Test matches between 1979-80 and 1990, as well as 53 One Day Internationals. He has been the coach of the New Zealand cricket team since the autumn of 2003...
, he was asked to play for the team he was coaching, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
. Spearman immediately became a favourite in Bristol, when he hit a century in his first match.
In 2004 he hit 341 against Middlesex at Gloucester. His innings contained 40 fours and six sixes and was the highest ever score by a Gloucestershire batsman, beating the record of WG Grace.http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/England/Firstclass/Gloucestershire/Batting_Records/Highest_Innings_For.html Since then he has continued to score runs and has gone on to add two more double centuries.
During a game against Oxford in 2005 he hit 34 runs off an over.http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wisdencricketer/content/story/214551.html
In 2006 he became just the 4th player from his county to score a century in both innings against Northamptonshire. He finished the year with 1370 runs in the Championship.
In 2009, he made only six Championship appearances with 206 runs at 22.88, and at the end of the year agreed to be released from his contract