Alex Gidman

Alexander Peter Richard Gidman (born 22 June 1981 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English cricket coach and former cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who currently plays for Worcestershire. He went to Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire where he became a talented cricketer playing for the first eleven. Gidman worked his way through the youth ranks as a Gloucestershire player, starting in the Under-17s County Championship tournaments of 1997 and 1998. Gidman's first-class cricketing career began with limited overs cricket in 2001 in the C&G Trophy. He played his first County Championship match a year later, and while Gloucestershire failed to impress in that year's competition, they were promoted the following year, with Gidman establishing himself in the middle-order and averaging over 40 with the bat.

Alex Gidman
Personal information
Full nameAlexander Peter Richard Gidman
Born (1981-06-22) 22 June 1981
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England
NicknameGiddo
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2001–2014Gloucestershire (squad no. 5)
2001Gloucestershire Cricket Board
2007–2008Otago
2015–2016Worcestershire (squad no. 3)
FC debut3 July 2002 Gloucestershire v Derbyshire
Last FC1 September 2015 Worcestershire v Sussex
LA debut15 May 2001 Gloucestershire CB v Herefordshire
Last LA18 August 2015 Worcestershire v Derbyshire
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20
Matches 204 195 96
Runs scored 11,622 4,473 1,448
Batting average 36.31 27.44 19.56
100s/50s 24/60 5/21 0/4
Top score 264 116 64
Balls bowled 7,340 3,256 292
Wickets 103 71 9
Bowling average 44.05 39.23 45.55
5 wickets in innings 0 1 0
10 wickets in match 0 n/a n/a
Best bowling 4/47 5/42 2/24
Catches/stumpings 141/– 67/– 22/–
Source: CricketArchive, 5 January 2016

Gidman was appointed England A captain for their 2003-04 tour to India, but had to leave the tour with a hand injury before he played a game. Gloucestershire finished in mid-table that year, with Gidman scoring 869 runs, for which he was rewarded with a new contract.[1] While 2005 saw Gloucestershire relegated to the second division in the Championship, Gidman hit three centuries, including a career-topping high score of 142 against Surrey.

The following season, Gloucestershire struggled in the second division, though Gidman hit four centuries in the season, finishing with an average of just below 50. In 2007, he averaged 39.65 and was Gloucestershire's top scorer.

He has signed to play for Otago in the 2007-08 New Zealand cricket season.[2]

Gidman was appointed captain of Gloucestershire in 2009 taking over from Jon Lewis. He was awarded a benefit year in 2012, after being with the county for 10 years.[3] After Gloucestershire finished bottom of the 2012 County Championship, Gidman stood down as captain, having already relinquished captain duties in the Friends Life t20 to Hamish Marshall. He felt he needed to concentrate on his own game,[4] and was replaced by Michael Klinger.

With the burden of the captaincy removed, Gidman enjoyed a very successful 2013 season, averaging 51.13 and amassing 1125 runs. He also scored a career high 211 against Kent, the first time a Gloucs player had scored a double century since Craig Spearman in 2006.[5] In June 2013, he was rewarded with a new three-year contract taking him up to the end of the 2016 season.[6]

In September 2014 it was announced that Gidman would join Worcestershire on a two-year contract.[7]

In August 2015 Gidman announced that he was launching an organisation which would support ex-players back into a life after sport. Ironically, In February 2016 Gidman announced his retirement from cricket, due to a serious finger injury.[8]

Career best performances

as of 29 February 2016

Batting Bowling
Score Fixture Venue Season Score Fixture Venue Season
FC 264 Gloucestershire v Leicestershire Bristol 2014 4-47 Gloucestershire v Glamorgan Cardiff 2005
LA 116 Gloucestershire Gladiators v Sussex Sharks Hove 2009 5-42 England A v Bangladesh A Mirpur 2007
T20 64 Gloucestershire Gladiators v Worcestershire Royals Bristol 2009 2-24 Otago Volts v Canterbury Wizards Dunedin 2008

See also

References
  1. Alex Gidman stays with Gloucestershire
  2. Gidman joins Otago
  3. Alex Gidman awarded Gloucestershire benefit year
  4. Alex Gidman to stand down as Gloucestershire captain
  5. Alex Gidman delighted with double century at Cheltenham
  6. Gloucestershire batsman signs new contract
  7. "Alex Gidman: Worcestershire sign former Gloucestershire skipper". BBC Sport. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  8. "Finger injury forces Alex Gidman retirement". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
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