Gary Keedy

Full Name	Gary Keedy
Nickname	Keeds
DoB	27th November 1974
Height	6' 0''
Bats/Bowls	Left Hand/Left arm spin
Shirt Number	23
Lancashire	Debut 1995. Cap 2000. Other Clubs: Yorkshire 1994, Sylhet Royals (Bangladesh Premier League) 2012. England Lions 2009
Tests	0
ODI	0

Profile

Yorkshire-born Gary Keedy is part of the furniture on this side of the Pennines. A Lancashire player since 1995, the experienced left-arm spinner has served the Red Rose county with distinction.

Even though he has taken close to 650 first-class wickets, the closest he has come to international honours was getting a one-off call-up to play for the England Lions in a two-day match against Australia at Canterbury in 2009.

Like team-mate Glen Chapple, he is widely regarded as one of the best county cricketers never to have represented his country, although he was thought to have been close to a place on a couple of tours of the sub-continent (Bangladesh in 2003 and Pakistan in 2005).

Keedy, who was awarded a benefit year by Lancashire for 2010, was the county's leading wicket-taker with 61 in their LV= County Championship title winning campaign of 2011, and was one of three players to pass 50 wickets for the season alongside Chapple and Kyle Hogg.

But it was a direct hit from cover point to run out Somerset's Gemaal Hussain during the final day of the season at Taunton that was the contribution that he will be remembered for.

With the chance of victory slipping away, Keedy swooped and threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end to leave Somerset all out and Lancashire chasing 211 in a little over a session for victory and the title.

What made it all the more special was that Keedy revealed afterwards that it was the first direct hit run out of his 17-year career!

Keedy was also Lancashire's leading Championship wicket-taker in 2009 with 42, but he missed the first half of the following summer with a broken collarbone, suffered whilst fielding during a pre-season friendly against Durham at Old Trafford. Still, he returned to take 31 wickets in the last seven matches of the season, later saying the spell was as well as he has ever bowled.

He was awarded the Club's Player of the Year prize in 2004 thanks to an impressive 72 wickets.

But he has not always been a regular in the Lancashire four-day team, forced to bide his time for a chance when Sri Lankan spin sensation Muttiah Muralitharan was the Club's overseas player.

He was also regarded as a bit-part one-day player throughout the early stages of his Old Trafford career, but has made himself into a vital part of the Club's limited overs plans in recent years, playing a huge part in the march to Twenty20 Finals Day in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2011.

He also played his part in helping the Lightning reach the 50-over C&G Trophy final in 2006, although a knee injury ruled him out of the Lord's showpiece.

But he will have made up for the all the limited overs showpiece disappointments in 2011 by joining a select band of Red Rose county champions.

Keedy, who is relishing a healthy battle for his four-day place with young gun Simon Kerrigan, rejected a contract offer from Warwickshire at the end of the 2011 campaign to remain at Old Trafford for the following two seasons. He is also studying physiotherapy at Salford University.

Part of his winter will take place abroad in the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League with the Sylhet Royals

Graham Hardcastle
(c) Lancashire County Cricket Club Ltd
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