Steven Croft

Full Name	Steven Croft
Nickname	Crofty
DoB	11th October 1984
Height	5' 11
Bats/Bowls	Right hand/Right arm fast-medium
Shirt Number	15
Lancashire	Academy 2003, Scholarship 2004-5. Debut 2005, Cap 2010
Tests	0
ODI	0

Profile

When Steven Croft first broke on to the Lancashire first team scene with a massive bang by hitting a last ball six over extra cover to win the Twenty20 Cup game against Leicestershire at Grace Road in 2006, you could have been forgiven for labelling him as a future one-day specialist.

He hit 28 off 11 balls at the death - and it was typical of the way Steven played his cricket in his breakthrough year. Aggression and enjoyment were his two main attributes as he cemented a place in the Twenty20 Cup and Pro40 League sides.

You could also have been forgiven for thinking that kind of feat was a one off. After all, there aren’t too many people who hit a six off the final ball to win a game twice. Crofty did it again in 2008 to win a Friends Provident Trophy tie against Durham, walloping now England pace bowler Graham Onions for a maximum over extra cover.

But he has always had a liking for the spectacular. Just ask former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was the victim of a stunning one-handed catch on the deep mid-wicket boundary during a Twenty20 Cup Roses match at Old Trafford in 2009.

The catch has been seen by thousands on YouTube, while it was also extensively featured on Sky Sports’ Cricket AM programme.

The 25 year-old was the first Lancashire Academy product to be given a full professional contract and he made his first-class debut against Oxford University at the Parks in 2005.

And in 2007, he took advantage of the odd injury and international call up to hold down a regular place in Lancashire’s four-day side. He batted at three, and at times showed immense promise and maturity.

His Grace Road heroics will live long in the memory, that is for sure, but he will also remember with fondness the NatWest Pro40 League defeat against Sussex at Hove when he recorded career bests with both bat and ball. First he helped Lancashire to 277 with a 35 ball 56 before claiming 4-59 as Chris Adams and co just managed to chase the score down with two wickets in hand.

Steven, who played his league cricket in the Northern League at Blackpool, began his playing career on the subcontinent in Sri Lanka.

He explains: "I was 8 years old, and my dad got a job out there. I lived in Sri Lanka for three years and started playing at school, and also on the fields with my dad next to where we lived. They are mad about cricket, there was never a chance of playing anything else."

"We came back to England when I was 11 and I joined Blackpool Cricket Club - I'm still with them. I played for Blackpool's juniors and at school, and I started with Lancs schools team when I was 13. I found it a bit tough at first, but I went on to play for the U14's and U15's and my performances in those sides led to nets at Old Trafford and working with John Stanworth and the coaches at Lancashire. Things have progressed from there."

Things certainly have progressed from there. He was named 2007 Young Player of the Year at the club's awards dinner. On the same night he also collected the magic moment award for a blinding catch in the televised Pro40 game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The following year the all-rounder trumped that by winning two more awards including Player of the Year.

Following a maiden first-class century against Nottinghamshire, a fine 122 in the draw at Old Trafford in early June, Croft continued to demonstrate glimpses of his undoubted talent and potential. He notched 582 Championship runs in 2008, at an average of 34.23, with one century and three fifties. He also claimed 16 wickets. The former Northern League player hit 279 runs from 13 one-day matches, averaging 31. He was also the leading wicket-taker with 14 at 21.71.

And being awarded the club’s player of the year award and the one-day player of the year award was fine reward. It also prompted overtures from Auckland state Aces, where Croft signed as overseas player for the winter of 2008/2009.

He produced a solid season for the Aces, who won the New Zealand state Championship title, but failed to produce his best for the Red Rose upon his return.

He wasn’t used as much with the ball as he would have liked, while he only played eight Championship matches. His best of 79 with the bat came in the final match against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.

His high point of the 2009 summer – apart from that aforementioned catch to dismiss Vaughan – was an unbeaten 83 against Nottinghamshire in a Twenty20 Cup North Group match at Trent Bridge.

He did, however, manage to make it onto the awards list at the end of the summer, reclaiming the magic moment gong he won in 2007. The look on Vaughan’s face at the time of dismissal was priceless.

Graham Hardcastle
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