Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett

Personal information
Full name	Liam Edward Plunkett
Born	(1985-04-06) 6 April 1985 Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England
Nickname	Pudsy
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 628)	29 November 2005 v Pakistan
Last Test	21 July 2014 v India
ODI debut (cap 190)	10 December 2005 v Pakistan
Last ODI	6 February 2011 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2003–2012	Durham
2007	Dolphins
2013–present	Yorkshire (squad no. 28)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 12 29 135 124 Runs scored 176 315 3,570 1,081 Batting average 11.73 21.00 23.95 20.01 100s/50s 0/1 0/1 2/17 0/3 Top score 55* 56 114 72 Balls bowled 2,437 1,363 21,030 5,173 Wickets 37 39 410 147 Bowling average 38.37 33.87 30.95 31.80 5 wickets in innings 1 0 11 0 10 wickets in match 0 n/a 1 n/a Best bowling 5/64 3/24 6/33 4/15 Catches/stumpings 3/– 7/– 79/– 28/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 July 2014

Liam Edward Plunkett (born 6 April 1985) is an English cricketer who bowls right-arm fast. He currently plays for Yorkshire, having previously played for Durham and Dolphins (the latter in South African domestic cricket).

In the 2005 season he was Durham's leading first-class wicket-taker, and that year was called up to the England squad to tour Pakistan in November and December where he played his first Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs). Between November 2005 and June 2007 Plunkett played 9 Test and 27 ODIs before being dropped by England.

In 2011 and 2012, Plunkett struggled with form and played just three Championship matches fr Durham. Looking for a fresh start he changed clubs, moving from Durham to Yorkshire for the start of the 2013 season. Under the tutelage of Yorkshire coach and former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie, Plunkett's fortunes improved and he was awarded his county cap in 2013. The following year, Plunkett was recalled to the England Test team.

Primarily a bowler, Plunkett also has two first-class centuries to his name and a batting average of about 24. As proof of his worth as a tailender, after just 18 ODI games he held a part of both the 8th and 9th wicket partnership records for England.

Domestic Career

Plunkett started his career with Durham, making his debut for the senior side in 2003 having played for the club's academy. He took 19 first class wickets in his debut season, followed by 31 in his second. In 2005 he improved his bowling in the limited overs form of the game, averaging 29.10 and taking 19 wickets. In 2006 he average 27.15 in the County Championship as his reputation grew. He remained consistent in the County Championship in 2007, averaging just over 30.

Plunkett signed for the Nashua Dolphins in November 2007, fellow Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison signed for Highveld Lions. Harmison and Plunkett actually played against each other in a four-day match on 15–18 November 2007.

He was part of the Durham side which won the County Championship in 2008 for the first time in their history. He averaged 32.50 with the ball and 27.28 with the bat. In 2009 Durham retained the title, with Plunkett averaging 39 with the ball and 38.94 with bat.

In 2011 and 2012, Plunkett struggled with form and played just three Championship matches fr Durham. In October 2012, Plunkett signed to play for Yorkshire. He stated, "At this stage of my career, I believe that a fresh challenge would benefit me and I feel this is required to help me reach my goal of representing my country again". In his first season at Yorkshire, Plunkett played in 12 of the club's 16 matches in the County Championship, managing to take 36 wickets. He credits Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire's coach and former Australia international fast bowler, with helping him regain his confidence and felt that his problems had been exacerbated by over-coaching. In an interview in June 2014 Plunkett explained "Different coaches told me different things and when you're a youngster you're like a sponge and take a lot of things in. ... When I came to Yorkshire, Jason Gillespie just told me to run it and bowl quick. And when I did that I backed myself, bowled in my good areas and started picking up wickets." Under the tutelage of Yorkshire coach and former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie, Plunkett's fortunes improved and he was awarded his county cap in 2013. The following year, Plunkett was recalled to the England Test team.

In February 2007, Plunkett was banned from driving for twenty months, after being convicted for a drink driving offence in October 2006. In August 2012 he was convicted of a second drink driving offence and banned from driving for 40 months.

International Career

Introduction to England

Plunkett was called up for the England One Day International and Test squads to tour Pakistan in November & December 2005 after an injury to Simon Jones. He made his Test debut in the third Test of that series in Lahore taking figures of 2–125 in the innings defeat. Plunkett came on as a Super Sub in his first ODI on 10 December 2005 after Kevin Pietersen went off with a back injury. Plunkett finished with England's best bowling figures, taking 3 wickets for 51 runs, and he was also involved in the run out of Shoaib Akhtar. They were three of the last six wickets, which fell for 23 as England went on to win the match by 42 runs. Two days later, when Plunkett entered the crease, England's score was a disappointing 130 for 8 in the second ODI. He added 56 runs to the total in a record ninth-wicket 100 run partnership with Vikram Solanki before chipping a return catch to Shoaib Akhtar. England needed to keep the Pakistani run rate below five an over, however, after setting a target of 231, but Plunkett's seven overs went for 63 – Kamran Akmal taking 39 off the 25 balls Plunkett bowled to him.

He was subsequently taken on the 2005–06 tour to India. He played in the second Test at Mohali, replacing Ian Blackwell in the side. However, he was largely unimpressive, taking only one wicket and scoring just one run over two innings. He was replaced by James Anderson for the third Test.

2006-07

Injuries to Steve Harmison, Anderson and Jones meant Plunkett started the first Test of the Sri Lankan tour of England in the summer of 2006. He was up impressive in the first test, taking figures of 0-52 and 1-85. He achieved what was at the time his best figures when taking three wickets before lunch against in the second Test at Edgbaston. This included a double wicket maiden in his first over of the day, dismissing Michael Vandort and Mahela Jayawardene. In the final match of the series Plunkett took two wickets in each innings as Sri Lanka won by 134 runs.

Plunkett made his international Twenty20 debut on 15 June 2006 against Sri Lanka, taking 1–37 from four overs; he did not bat. In the first Test against Pakistan, Plunkett took figures of 2-78 and 0-41.

Plunkett bowls in the Adelaide Oval nets during the 2006-07 Ashes series

He was in the squad for the 2006-07 Ashes series, but did not play in a Test.

Plunkett did not feature in another ODI match until 30 January 2007, against New Zealand in Perth, Australia during the Commonwealth Series. He took 3 wickets for 54 runs in 9 overs. He was also picked in the next game against Australia on 2 February 2007 in Sydney. He took 3 wickets for 34 runs off 9.5 overs. Perhaps the highlight of Plunkett's bowling was the wicket of stand in captain and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. Plunkett bowled Gilchrist with the very first ball of Australia's innings. He also took the wickets of Michael Clarke and Glenn McGrath. In the next game of the Commonwealth series, against New Zealand, Plunkett took figures of 3-60. He was wicket less in the first of two finals against Australia, although England won the game. In the second final he made 8 not out and took figures of 3-43 in 6 overs as England won the Commonwealth series.

He was selected in the England squad for the 2007 ICC World Cup. He made 29 not out against New Zealand, and took figures of 1-43. He also played in the group match against Canada, taking 2-46 as England won by 51 runs. As England progresses to the Super Eights stage of the tournament, Plunkett found it difficult to hold down a place. His final game of the tournament came against New Zealand, but he was expensive, taking 1-71 in just 7 overs as England narrowly won by 1 wicket.

He was selected in the 12-man squad to play in the first Test in the 2007 West Indies tour of England. He took 2-107 as the match finished in a draw. He kept his place for the next match of the series,where he took 3-35 and 1-25. The third match of the series proved to be Plunkett's last test appearance for England for the next five years. He took figures of 1-43 and 0-57 in a convincing England victory.

Brief Return

Plunkett made a brief return to the England set up in 2010 ODI match against Bangladesh. England won the match by 45 runs, but Plunkett only bowled two overs, conceding 12 runs. He also played in the final ODI against Australia in 2011, taking figures of 2-49 of his ten overs and making 20 from 32 balls, as Australia won the game by 57 runs.

Return to set-up

On 5th June 2014 Plunkett was recalled for the two-match series against Sri Lanka as part of a 12-man squad. Plunkett was picked based on his good from in the County Championship and played in the first match as an impact bowler, bowling short deliveries in an attempt to unsettle the batsmen. He took figures of 2-166 and 0-39. In the second match, Plunkett recorded Test-best figures of 5-64 in first innings of the second Test at Headingley. He also bowled well in the second innings, taking 4-112.

Plunkett kept his place in the squad for the series against India. He took three wickets in the first Test at Trent Bridge and scored his maiden half-century in the first innings of the second Test at Lord's.

Performances

Test 5 wicket hauls

#	Figures	Match	Opponent	Venue	City	Country	Year
1	5/64	11	Sri Lanka	Headingley Stadium	Leeds	England	2014

External links

• Liam Plunkett at ESPNcricinfo
• Liam Plunkett at CricketArchive (subscription required)