Glen Chapple

Full Name	Glen Chapple
Nickname	Chappie, Boris
DoB	23rd January 1974
Height	6' 1''
Bats/Bowls	Right hand/Right arm medium-fast
Shirt Number	3
Lancashire	Debut 1992. Cap 1994. Captain 2009-10
Tests	0
ODI	1 Debut v Ireland, Stormont 2006

Profile

Glen Chapple has been a Lancashire player since making his debut for the county in 1992, but he first shot to fame in 1996 when he claimed 6-18 to skittle Essex for just 57 in the NatWest Trophy final at Lord’s.

Many highs have followed with both bat and ball for this talismanic all-rounder, but one of the biggest was when he was awarded the captaincy for the 2009 season following Stuart Law’s release.

And Chapple, who will be 36 when the 2010 season starts, made an impressive start to his reign by leading the Red Rose to a mid-table finish in the County Championship, a Friends Provident Trophy semi-final and a Twenty20 Cup quarter-final.

Lancashire will be hoping for a much better return in 2010 - but with a new coach and captain feeling their way in, this wasn’t bad for starters.

Chapple, a one-time England international, readily admitted that he has not always seen himself as a natural leader, but felt that is was the right time for him to take on the skipper’s duties.

Lancashire cricket director Mike Watkinson described him as the “natural choice” when announcing that the all-rounder would be remaining in the role.

“Glen optimises the values and attributes we look for in all players who represent Lancashire,” he said. “Not only is he highly respected by his team-mates and the coaching staff, but his on-field performances continue to inspire those around him.”

That was shown by the fact that he took 35 wickets at an average of 25.25 despite missing five County Championship matches in his first season as skipper, while he also scored 390 runs.

He also claimed a fabulous 6-19 in the final match of the summer against Warwickshire at Old Trafford, the second best innings figures of his career, and proving that he loves performing in the month of September at the same time.

Five of the 12 six or more wicket hauls in his career have come in that month.

A career as illustrious as Glen's has brought a number of honours and records. He is part of the elite group of Lancashire cricketers to pass 5,000 first-class runs and take 500 wickets for the county, joining the likes of Jack Simmons and Watkinson amongst others. A benefit in 2004 was sent his way following fine performances in the one-day sides of the mid-nineties dubbed the 'kings of one-day cricket'.

He is still regarded by many as one of the best players never to have pulled on an England shirt. The last part of the previous sentence is not quite true, as he displayed the three lions on his chest once in a 50-over friendly against Ireland at Stormont in 2006. He hit 14 with the bat, bowled just four overs before an abdominal injury curtailed his chances.

The Skipton-born star was subsequently named in England’s provisional squad for the World Cup in early 2007 and the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup later that year. But he missed out, despite continuing his high standard of performances for his county.

Right at the start of his career, it took him a while to claim the new-ball on a regular basis. The presence of Philip DeFreitas and later Wasim Akram often left Glen in the role of first change. When they departed it left a spot open - and, along with Peter Martin, Glen became a part of one of the county circuit's most feared new-ball partnerships.

Glen claimed his first-class career best of 7-53 against Durham at Blackpool in the summer of 2007 - and also produced best match figures of 10-86. He was hailed as a saviour at the back end of 2008 due to a sparkling bowling performance of 6-40 from 19 overs to help secure the county’s LV Division One future in the win against Kent at Liverpool.

The visitors were chasing just 163 to win on a sticky wicket, but Chapple’s heroics pulled the game out of the fire as Kent were skittled for just 92. He also hit 45 in Lancashire’s second innings. Glen finished 2008 as the county’s leading Championship bowler with 42 scalps at an average of 20.50.

He would have almost certainly bettered that haul had he not missed those aforementioned five matches with a foot injury in 2009, although that did not prevent him winning the Club's Championship Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

Graham Hardcastle
(c) Lancashire County Cricket Club Ltd
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