{{short description|English cricketer (born 1984)}} {{other people||Steven Croft (disambiguation){{!}}Steven Croft}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Steven Croft | image = Croft drives.JPG | country = England | fullname = Steven John Croft | nickname = Crofty | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|10|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Blackpool]], [[Lancashire]], England | heightft = 5 | heightinch = 11 | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm [[off break]] | role = [[All rounder]], occasional [[wicket-keeper]] | club1 = [[Lancashire Cricket Board]] | year1 = 2002 | club2 = [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] | year2 = {{nowrap|2005–2024}} | clubnumber2 = 15 | club3 = [[Auckland cricket team|Auckland]] | year3 = 2008/09 | club4 = [[Northern Districts men's cricket team|Northern Districts]] | year4 = 2012/13 | type1 = [[First-class cricket|FC]] | debutdate1 = 25 May | debutyear1 = 2005 | debutfor1 = Lancashire | debutagainst1 = [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford UCCE]] | type2 = [[List A cricket|LA]] | debutdate2 = 29 August | debutyear2 = 2002 | debutfor2 = Lancashire CB | debutagainst2 = [[Oxfordshire County Cricket Club|Oxfordshire]] | columns = 3 | column1 = [[First-class cricket|FC]] | matches1 = 212 | runs1 = 9,857 | bat avg1 = 34.10 | 100s/50s1 = 16/56 | top score1 = 156 | deliveries1 = 5,609 | wickets1 = 72 | bowl avg1 = 42.91 | fivefor1 = 1 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 6/41 | catches/stumpings1 = 202/0 | column2 = [[List A cricket|LA]] | matches2 = 175 | runs2 = 4,858 | bat avg2 = 38.25 | 100s/50s2 = 4/34 | top score2 = 127 | deliveries2 = 2,985 | wickets2 = 66 | bowl avg2 = 41.87 | fivefor2 = 0 | tenfor2 = 0 | best bowling2 = 4/24 | catches/stumpings2 = 90/– | column3 = [[Twenty20|T20]] | matches3 = 250 | runs3 = 5,486 | bat avg3 = 30.82 | 100s/50s3 = 1/30 | top score3 = 101 | deliveries3 = 1,804 | wickets3 = 79 | bowl avg3 = 28.36 | fivefor3 = 0 | tenfor3 = 0 | best bowling3 = 3/6 | catches/stumpings3 = 142/– | date = 25 September | year = 2024 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/11745.html Cricinfo }}
'''Steven John Croft''' (born 11 October 1984) is an English former [[first-class cricket]]er who played for [[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] from 2005 until 2024. He bats right-handed and can bowl both [[seam bowling|medium-fast]] and [[off break]]s. In 2008 Croft was given the Lancashire members' Player of the Year and One-Day Player of the Year awards. In 2008–09 he played for the [[Auckland Aces]] in New Zealand as an overseas player. Awarded his Lancashire cap in 2010, Croft was part of the Lancashire team that won the County Championship in 2011.
==Career== Born in [[Blackpool]], Lancashire, Croft made his debut for the Lancashire Second XI at the age of 16, in May 2001. He made his first-class Lancashire debut in 2005, having previously made his list A debut for the Lancashire Cricket Board in 2002. He spent the winters of 2005–06 and 2006–07 playing club cricket in Australia.<ref name="lccc1766">{{cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1766 |title=Croft makes two New Year's resolutions |publisher= [[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] |date=31 December 2007 |accessdate=2 January 2008}}</ref>
Croft finished the [[2008 English cricket season|2008 season]] with 585 first-class runs in thirteen matches, with an average of 32.50. He hit one century, his maiden hundred a 122 against [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]] and three fifties. In one-day matches, he hit 279 runs from thirteen matches, averaging 31. He was also the club's leading wicket-taker with fourteen, at an average of 21.71. In Twenty20 matches he hit 134 runs from eleven matches and took six wickets.<ref name="bfc081021"/><ref name="lccc2415"/> He also won the Player of the Month award for August.<ref name="lccc2330"> {{cite web| title= Player of the Month Award |date= September 2008 |publisher=[[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=2330 |accessdate=21 August 2008}}</ref> In September 2008 Croft won two awards for the 2008 season winning the club's members Player of the Year award and the one-day Player of the Year award.<ref name="bfc081021"/><ref name="lccc2400"> {{cite web | last = Garlington | first = Phil | title= Steven Croft named Player of the Year | date= September 2008 | publisher= [[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] | url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=2400 | accessdate=21 October 2008}}</ref> At the start of August 2010, Croft was awarded his [[Cap (sport)#Cricket|county cap]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/cricket/s/1312989_hoggs_lightning_strike_all_in_vain_ |title=Hogg's lightning strike all in vain |newspaper=[[Manchester Evening News]] |date=4 August 2010 |accessdate=18 August 2010 |archive-date=12 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112151957/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/cricket/s/1312989_hoggs_lightning_strike_all_in_vain_ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Croft signed a contract to become the overseas player at [[Auckland Aces]], one of six first-class teams clubs in New Zealand for the [[New Zealand first-class cricket championship|State championship]] for the 2008–09 season.<ref name="bfc081021"/><ref name="lccc2415">{{cite web |last=Hardcastle |first=Graham |title=Croft flies south for the winter |date=October 2008 |publisher=[[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=2415 |accessdate=21 August 2008}}</ref> In eight first-class matches, he scored 330 runs, including two half-centuries, and averaged 36.66.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/45/45409/f_Batting_by_Team.html |title=First-class batting and fielding for each team by Steve Croft |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> Croft also played ten list A matches, amassing 209 runs with a single score above 50.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/45/45409/a_Batting_by_Team.html |title=List A Batting and fielding for each team by Steve Croft |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=2 April 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Steven Croft batting, 2012 (3).ogv|thumb|left|300px|Croft on his way to 65 not out against Durham in the 2012 FL T20]] During a drawn County Championship match against [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club|Warwickshire]] in August 2011, Croft scored the second century of his first-class career, and his first in three years. He passed 3,000 first-class runs in the innings of 122 from 182 balls, which equalled his highest score.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/316/316329.html |title=f53305 Lancashire v Warwickshire: LV County Championship 2011 (Division 1) |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2011/content/story/525873.html |title=Croft ton shares limelight with Clarke's catching |first=Jon |last=Cully |work=ESPNcricinfo |date=3 August 2011 |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> Though there was a three-year gap between his first and second centuries, in the next County Championship match Croft scored a third, this time an innings of 107 in a Lancashire victory over [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2011/content/story/528043.html |title=Croft ton boosts Lancashire |work=ESPNcricinfo |date=17 August 2011 |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/316/316371.html |title=f53324 Lancashire v Worcestershire: LV County Championship 2011 (Division 1) |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref> On 15 September 2011, Croft scored the winning runs as Lancashire beat [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset]] at Taunton to clinch the County Championship outright for the first time since 1934. Croft played in all 16 Championship matches and finished with 825 runs at an average of 31.73, making him the club's fourth highest run-scorer (only two Lancashire batsmen managed over- 1,000 runs in the 2011 season).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/ENG/LV_County_Championship_2011/Batting_by_Runs.html |title=Batting and fielding in LV County Championship 2011 (ordered by runs) |website=CricketArchive |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref>
Lancashire began their title defence poorly, with three losses from their first four County Championship matches.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/17969048 |title=Nottinghamshire condemn Lancashire to third loss |work=BBC Sport |date=5 May 2012 |access-date=14 May 2012}}</ref> The batsmen struggled in particular, and it was not until the third County Championship match that one of them scored a century. Against a Somerset bowling attack depleted through injury, Croft scored his fourth first-class century.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2012/content/match/fixtures.html?country=1;season=2012;class=4;class=5;class=6 |title=County Cricket 2012 / Fixtures |work=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2012/content/story/562810.html |title=Rose looks to loan market to boost exposed Somerset |work=ESPNcricinfo |first=George |last=Dobell |date=26 April 2012 |accessdate=14 May 2012}}</ref>
In June 2021, in the [[2021 t20 Blast]], Croft played in his 200th T20 match.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/57516181 |title=T20 Blast: Durham beat Lancashire despite Covid case at club |work=BBC Sport |date=17 June 2021 |access-date=18 June 2021}}</ref>
He made his maiden T20 100 in June 2023, scoring 101 in a win against Northants.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/vitality-blast-2023-1347399/northamptonshire-vs-lancashire-north-group-1347645/match-report | title=Steven Croft century drives Lancashire to emphatic win }}</ref>
He retired from first-class and 50 over cricket in December 2023, signing a T20 contract only, as well as joining the county's coaching staff.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/67661414 | title=Steven Croft: Lancashire signs T20 contract and joins club's coaching staff | work=BBC Sport | date=8 December 2023 }}</ref> In September 2024, announced his retirement from professional cricket at the age of 39 to move into Lancashire's coaching staff on a full-time basis.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/steven-croft-lancashire-stalwart-retires-at-the-age-of-39-1452542 |title=Steven Croft, Lancashire stalwart, retires at the age of 39 |work=ESPNcricinfo |date=25 September 2024 |access-date=25 September 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c20mzx6m8d4o|title=Lancashire's Croft retires to join coaching set-up|date=25 September 2024 |publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=25 September 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Croft was educated at [[Highfield Humanities College]] in his hometown of Blackpool and [[Myerscough College]] in Bilsborrow on the [[The Fylde|Fylde]].<ref name="cricinfo11745">{{cite news |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/player/11745.html |title=Steven Croft player profile |work=cricinfo |accessdate=22 September 2007}}</ref> He has twice been the half-time guest at the club's home games at [[Bloomfield Road]], firstly against [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] on 21 October 2008.<ref name="bfc081021">{{cite journal |title=Tonight's half time guest– Lancashire's 2008 Player of the Year, Steven Croft |journal=Up the Pool |year=2008 |issue=Blackpool vs Derby County |pages=11 |publisher=[[Blackpool F.C.]] |location=[[Blackpool]]}}</ref> and again on 30 November 2009 during the [[West Lancashire derby]] against [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]].
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=11745}}
{{Lancashire County Cricket Club squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Steven}} [[Category:Lancashire cricketers]] [[Category:Auckland cricketers]] [[Category:Northern Districts cricketers]] [[Category:1984 births]] [[Category:English cricketers]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Blackpool]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Lancashire Cricket Board cricketers]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Lancashire cricket captains]] [[Category:Cricketers from Lancashire]] [[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]