Harshad Patel
Encyclopedia
Harshad Vallabhbhai Patel (born 29 January 1964) is a Kenya
n-born former English
cricketer
: an opening batsman and very occasional off-spinner who appeared in one first-class
match for Worcestershire
in 1985, and has since played minor counties cricket for Staffordshire
and Herefordshire
. He was born in Nairobi
.
After a number of matches for Worcestershire's Second XI in the early 1980s, in which he made two centuries, Patel was selected for the first-class game against Cambridge University
in June 1985. He scored 39 in his only innings, but was immediately dropped and never played at that level again. He continued for Worcestershire seconds until the end of the season, then played a few games for Derbyshire
II with little success in 1986 before returning later that same season to play a handful more games for Worcestershire seconds. In late August he scored 54 for Stourbridge Cricket Club
against Weston-super-Mare
to help his club win the William Younger Cup at Lord's
.
Patel joined Staffordshire for the 1988 season, and enjoyed reasonable success. He remained with them until 1990 (though he played only one game that last year), then in 1992 he moved to Herefordshire as well as being picked for an England Amateur XI team that played two games against Ireland
and Scotland
.
He played no games for Herefordshire in 1993, and only a few in the mid-1990s, but from 2000 onwards he became a fixture in the side. Perhaps his most notable achievement came in 2001, when his man-of-the-match-winning innings of 68, part of a 129-run opening stand with Nathan Round
, gained Herefordshire a three-wicket win over Middlesex
in the C&G Trophy
at Kingsland
.
He is the cousin of New Zealand
Test
player Dipak Patel
, who had a considerably longer county career with Worcestershire.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n-born former English
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...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
: an opening batsman and very occasional off-spinner who appeared in one first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in 1985, and has since played minor counties cricket for Staffordshire
Staffordshire County Cricket Club
Staffordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Staffordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
and Herefordshire
Herefordshire County Cricket Club
Herefordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Herefordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. He was born in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
.
After a number of matches for Worcestershire's Second XI in the early 1980s, in which he made two centuries, Patel was selected for the first-class game against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in June 1985. He scored 39 in his only innings, but was immediately dropped and never played at that level again. He continued for Worcestershire seconds until the end of the season, then played a few games for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
II with little success in 1986 before returning later that same season to play a handful more games for Worcestershire seconds. In late August he scored 54 for Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club
Stourbridge Cricket Club is an English cricket club based in Stourbridge, West Midlands. The club play at the War Memorial Athletic Ground in Stourbridge, and compete in the Crusader Worcestershire County Cricket League....
against Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club
Weston-super-Mare Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club based in the town of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. Since the clubs formation in 1845, they have nurtured a number of players who have gone on to play for Somerset County Cricket Club and a select few who have gone on to play for the...
to help his club win the William Younger Cup at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
.
Patel joined Staffordshire for the 1988 season, and enjoyed reasonable success. He remained with them until 1990 (though he played only one game that last year), then in 1992 he moved to Herefordshire as well as being picked for an England Amateur XI team that played two games against Ireland
Irish cricket team
The Ireland cricket team is the cricket team representing all of Ireland. Because of political difficulties, the Irish Cricket Union was not elected to the International Cricket Council until 1993, and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2007. The Irish Cricket Union is the...
and Scotland
Scottish cricket team
The Scotland national cricket team represents Scotland in the game of cricket. They compete in the Clydesdale Bank 40 as the Scottish Saltires...
.
He played no games for Herefordshire in 1993, and only a few in the mid-1990s, but from 2000 onwards he became a fixture in the side. Perhaps his most notable achievement came in 2001, when his man-of-the-match-winning innings of 68, part of a 129-run opening stand with Nathan Round
Nathan Round
Nathan William Round is a former English cricketer. Round was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born at Stourbridge, Worcestershire....
, gained Herefordshire a three-wicket win over Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in the C&G Trophy
C&G Trophy
The Friends Provident Trophy was a one-day cricket competition in the United Kingdom.It was one of the four tournaments in which the eighteen first-class counties compete each season. They were joined by teams from Scotland and Ireland...
at Kingsland
Luctonians Cricket Club Ground
The Luctonians Cricket Club Ground in Kingsland, Herefordshire, England is the home ground of Luctonians Cricket Club.It has been used for major cricket on only one occasion, when it staged the C&G Trophy match between Herefordshire and Middlesex in June 2001. The game was the scene of a remarkable...
.
He is the cousin of 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...
Test
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...
player Dipak Patel
Dipak Patel
Dipak Narshibhai Patel played 37 Tests and 75 One Day Internationals for the New Zealand cricket team....
, who had a considerably longer county career with Worcestershire.
External links
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...