Nigel Briers
Encyclopedia
Nigel Edwin Briers, born at Leicester
, England
on 15 January 1955, played first-class
and List A cricket
for Leicestershire
. Between 1971 and 1995.
A right-handed opening batsman, Briers was Leicestershire's youngest-ever first-class
cricketer when he made his debut at 16 in 1971, but it was for his deeds towards the end of his career that he won accolades.
One of his most significant highest scores was in 1990, when he fell 4 runs short of 2000.
The accolades, though, related not just to his longevity as a batsman but also to his captaincy. Appointed to succeed David Gower
in charge of an under-achieving team in 1990, Briers brought a touch of school-masterly discipline to the team that paid off in terms of results. In 1992, though finishing only halfway up the County Championship
table, Leicestershire spent much of the summer challenging for the leadership, and also went to their first-ever Gillette Cup final, the last of the 17 counties that were first-class when the competition started in 1963 to make an appearance in the final. Briers was rewarded by being named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the 1993 edition of the almanack
.
Leicestershire and Briers continued to do well for the next three seasons, and Briers stepped down from the captaincy at the end of the 1995 season, intending to continue playing as a batsman for a further season at least. But a knee injury, followed by an operation, left him as a spectator as the county, under new captain James Whitaker
, took their second Championship title in 1996, and he never played first-class cricket again.
He is now director of sport at Marlborough College
in Wiltshire, England.
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, 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...
on 15 January 1955, played 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...
and List A cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
. Between 1971 and 1995.
A right-handed opening batsman, Briers was Leicestershire's youngest-ever 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...
cricketer when he made his debut at 16 in 1971, but it was for his deeds towards the end of his career that he won accolades.
One of his most significant highest scores was in 1990, when he fell 4 runs short of 2000.
The accolades, though, related not just to his longevity as a batsman but also to his captaincy. Appointed to succeed David Gower
David Gower
David Ivon Gower OBE is a former English cricketer who became a commentator for Sky Sports. Although he eventually rose to the captaincy of the England cricket team during the 1980s, he is best known for being one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the modern era. Gower played 117 Test...
in charge of an under-achieving team in 1990, Briers brought a touch of school-masterly discipline to the team that paid off in terms of results. In 1992, though finishing only halfway up the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
table, Leicestershire spent much of the summer challenging for the leadership, and also went to their first-ever Gillette Cup final, the last of the 17 counties that were first-class when the competition started in 1963 to make an appearance in the final. Briers was rewarded by being named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the 1993 edition of the almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
.
Leicestershire and Briers continued to do well for the next three seasons, and Briers stepped down from the captaincy at the end of the 1995 season, intending to continue playing as a batsman for a further season at least. But a knee injury, followed by an operation, left him as a spectator as the county, under new captain James Whitaker
James Whitaker
James Whitaker is a British journalist, specialising in the British royal family.-Biography:Formerly a pupil at Cheltenham College, Whitaker is best known as the Royal Editor of the Daily Mirror. He broke the story of the eating disorder of Diana, Princess of Wales...
, took their second Championship title in 1996, and he never played first-class cricket again.
He is now director of sport at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
in Wiltshire, England.