Duncan Spencer

Duncan Spencer (born 5 April 1972) is a former English cricketer. Born in Nelson, Lancashire, he was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler. Spencer's first cricketing appearances came as part of an England A side playing against a Western Australia XI during an Australian tour in 1993.

Spencer's debut first-class match came in the 1993 County Championship, though he only played one further match before signing for Western Australia in time for the 1994 Sheffield Shield. Western Australia finished in third place in the league during Spencer's season at the club. Just three months after the end of the competition, he played once again in the County Championship, though he made little impact in the four games in which he played and Kent finished the season in midtable as Spencer dropped out of the county game with back trouble, but not before Sir Vivian Richards rated Spencer as the fastest bowler he had ever faced.

After six years out of the Western Australian side, he returned to play six one-day matches for WA in the 2000/01 season and after the last of these matches, he returned a positive drug test to the anabolic steroid nandrolone. He was found guilty and suspended from all competitive cricket for 18 months. Spencer claimed that it was taken to relieve the pain caused by chronic back injuries.

Spencer returned to sign for Sussex at the age of 34, signing for the start of the 2006 County Championship season. However, Spencer played just one County Championship match following his return, moving to Minor Counties outfit Buckinghamshire during the second half of the season.

Spencer was on the losing side of the 2006 Minor Counties Championship final. Throughout his career, he played as a lower-order batsman, particularly during his matches in England.

References

• Duncan Spencer at Cricket Archive (subscription required)