Rikki Clarke

Rikki Clarke is a right handed batsman and a right hand fast medium bowler with the England cricket team. He has also played for the Derbyshire, Surrey and the Marylebone Cricket clubs. At present, Clarke is playing for the Warwickshire team.

Rikki made some excellent performances in the Second XI team in Surrey's championship victory in 2001. He established and made up his own mark in the first team from the next year. Against Cambridge UCCE, he scored 107 runs in his debut first class innings, and against Somerset, he scored 153, ending the season of 711 tuns at an average of 50 overs.

After winning the Young Cricketer of the Year award from the Cricket Writers’ Club and the NBC Denis Compton Award in 2002, Rikki made his debut in International cricket in a One Day International match played against Pakistan at Manchester in 2003. Rikki was clean bowled by Pakistani spearhead, Shoaib Malik and was sent back for a duck. He managed to take the wicket of Pakistani opener Imran Nazir and gave away 41 runs in the 7.2 overs he bowled. In the same match, he also caught 2 catches. Pakistan however won the match by 2 wickets.

Rikki’s first test match came later that year in October against Bangladesh at Dhaka. Clarke claimed 1 wicket and gave away just 18 runs in 6 overs in the first innings. He was once again clean bowled after scoring 14 runs. In the second innings, Clarke maintained an economy of 2.06 per over after bowling 15 overs. He could not claim a single wicket. Clarke did not need to come out and bat as England won the match by 7 wickets.

He had a disappointing record when touring the West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. His consistent performances in 2006, brought him back into the men squad of ODI and he played against the Pakistan team and also for the Champions Trophy in India.

In a total of 20 ODI’s, Clarke has scored 144 runs and claimed 11 wickets. He also has 96 runs and 4 wickets to his name in the 2 test matches he has played.

=== Career Highlights ===

Young Cricketer of the Year award, Cricket Writers’ club, 2002.
NBC Denis Compton Award, 2002.