# Will Jefferson

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{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name               = Will Jefferson
| image              = Will Jefferson.jpg
| fullname           = William Ingleby Jefferson
| country            = England
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1979|10|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = [Derby](/source/Derby), England
|             family = {{ubl|[Richard Jefferson](/source/Richard_Jefferson_(cricketer)) (father)|[Julian Jefferson](/source/Julian_Jefferson) (grandfather)}}
| heightft           = 6
| heightinch         = 10
| batting            = Right-handed
| bowling            = Right-arm slow
|              club3 = [Leicestershire](/source/Leicestershire_County_Cricket_Club)
|              year3 = 2010–2012
|              club2 = [Nottinghamshire](/source/Nottinghamshire_County_Cricket_Club)
|              year2 = 2007–2009
|              club1 = [Essex](/source/Essex_County_Cricket_Club)
|              year1 = {{nowrap|2000–2006}}
|            columns = 3
|            column1 = [FC](/source/First-class_cricket)
|           matches1 = 119
|              runs1 = 7,096
|           bat avg1 = 35.83
|          100s/50s1 = 17/27
|         top score1 = 222
|        deliveries1 = 120
|           wickets1 = 1
|          bowl avg1 = 60.00
|           fivefor1 = 0
|            tenfor1 = 0
|      best bowling1 = 1/16
| catches/stumpings1 = 127/–
|            column2 = [LA](/source/List_A_cricket)
|           matches2 = 101
|              runs2 = 3,144
|           bat avg2 = 34.17
|          100s/50s2 = 4/18
|         top score2 = 132
|        deliveries2 = 24
|           wickets2 = 2
|          bowl avg2 = 4.50
|           fivefor2 = 0
|            tenfor2 = 0
|      best bowling2 = 2/9
| catches/stumpings2 = 43/–
|            column3 = [T20](/source/Twenty20)
|           matches3 = 69
|              runs3 = 1,254
|           bat avg3 = 20.90
|          100s/50s3 = 0/6
|         top score3 = 83
|        deliveries3 = –
|           wickets3 = –
|          bowl avg3 = –
|           fivefor3 = –
|            tenfor3 = –
|      best bowling3 = –
| catches/stumpings3 = 25/–
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/8/8233/8233.html CricketArchive
| date = 1 April
| year = 2013
}}

'''William Ingleby Jefferson''' (born 25 October 1979) is a former professional [cricketer](/source/cricketer) who played for [Essex County Cricket Club](/source/Essex_County_Cricket_Club), [Nottinghamshire](/source/Nottinghamshire_County_Cricket_Club) and [Leicestershire](/source/Leicestershire_County_Cricket_Club) in a 12-year career. He retired from the game in 2012 as a result of a chronic hip complaint. Standing {{convert|6|ft|10|in|m}} tall,{{efn|Sources differ as to his height. [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/15490.html Cricinfo] gives 6 ft 9½ in, the [http://www.ecb.co.uk/stats/players/essex/will-jefferson,124,PP.html ECB] and many other sources give 6 ft 10 in, and [http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/profile_jefferson.htm Essex County Cricket Club] gives 6 ft 10½ in. (Final reference retrieved 16 April 2006, no longer present as of 29 August 2006).}} he was the tallest player in [county cricket](/source/county_cricket) during most of his career, and among the tallest professional cricketers ever.{{efn|[Paul Dunkels](/source/Paul_Dunkels) who represented [Sussex](/source/Sussex_County_Cricket_Club) and [Warwickshire](/source/Warwickshire_County_Cricket_Club) is also reputed to be 6-foot 10 inches tall [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/12268.html (Cricinfo Profile)]. The height of [Anthony Allom](/source/Anthony_Allom) of [Surrey](/source/Surrey_County_Cricket_Club) is recorded as between 6-foot 9 inches and 6-foot 10 inches [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/8721.html (Cricinfo Profile)]}}

Jefferson was a right-handed [opening batsman](/source/opening_batsman) and a reliable [slip fielder](/source/slip_fielder). He was born in [Derby](/source/Derby) to a cricketing family; his father [Richard Jefferson](/source/Richard_Ingleby_Jefferson) played [first-class cricket](/source/first-class_cricket) for [Surrey](/source/Surrey_County_Cricket_Club), while his grandfather [Julian Jefferson](/source/Julian_Jefferson) played first-class cricket in the 1920s for services teams. He showed his promise at [Oundle School](/source/Oundle_School) and [Durham University](/source/Durham_University). Jefferson studied at Durham from 1999 to 2002, completing the Sport in the Community course.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Sports News |journal=Durham First |date=Spring 2003 |issue=17 |page=22}}</ref> He made his first-class debut for British Universities against the touring [Zimbabweans](/source/Zimbabwean_cricket_team) in [2000](/source/2000_English_cricket_season).

His first full season at Essex was [2002](/source/2002_English_cricket_season), during which he scored 815 first-class [runs](/source/run_(cricket)); his 165 [not out](/source/not_out) in the final match of the season<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/75/75459.html Essex vs Nottinghamshire, 18&ndash;21 September 2002] from CricketArchive</ref>
made a major contribution to Essex winning the second division of the County Championship.

His best season was [2004](/source/2004_English_cricket_season), in which he scored 1555 first-class runs at an [average](/source/batting_average_(cricket)) of 55.53 with 6 [centuries](/source/century_(cricket)) including a high score of 222.<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/8/8233/f_Batting_by_Season.html Jefferson's first-class batting averages by season] from CricketArchive</ref> In [2005](/source/2005_English_cricket_season), a slump in form saw him relegated to the Essex [Second&nbsp;XI](/source/Second_XI_Championship), but he responded with 303 not out against [Marylebone Cricket Club](/source/Marylebone_Cricket_Club) (MCC) Young Cricketers,<ref>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/83/83251.html Essex Second XI v Marylebone Cricket Club Young Cricketers, 10&ndash;12 August 2005] from CricketArchive</ref> and regained his place in the first team.

Before the start of the [2006 season](/source/2006_English_cricket_season), he suffered a freak accident, cutting his left wrist whilst trying to open a window, and severing the [tendon](/source/tendon)s.<ref>[http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/239849.html Jefferson suffers freak injury] from [Cricinfo](/source/Cricinfo)</ref> After recovering from this injury, he failed to regain a regular place in the Essex side, and left the county by mutual consent in August 2006.<ref>[http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/xt_news90_01.htm Press release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925164848/http://www.essexcricket.org.uk/xt_news90_01.htm |date=25 September 2006 }} from [Essex County Cricket Club](/source/Essex_County_Cricket_Club)</ref> In September of that year, he signed a three-year contract with Nottinghamshire.<ref>[http://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news.cfm?idNews=197 Press release]{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} from [Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club](/source/Nottinghamshire_County_Cricket_Club)</ref>

In January 2007, he was selected for the [England A](/source/England_A_cricket_team) team to tour Bangladesh in February and March.<ref>[http://www.ecb.co.uk/england/england-a/yardy-to-lead-england-a,11140,EN.html Press release] from the [ECB](/source/England_and_Wales_Cricket_Board)</ref><ref>[http://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news.cfm?idNews=249 Press release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212233153/http://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news.cfm?idNews=249 |date=12 February 2007 }} from [Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club](/source/Nottinghamshire_County_Cricket_Club)</ref>

Jefferson had his contract terminated by Nottinghamshire in September 2009 after a run of poor form stretching back two years. However, he marked a return to form by scoring 112 in the first match of the 2011 county season, and his finest moment for Leicestershire was probably to secure their place in the [T20](/source/Twenty20) Final that year by smashing three boundaries in the "super over" needed, after their semi-final against Lancashire ended in a tie.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=15490}}
*[http://www.ecb.co.uk/stats/players/essex/will-jefferson,124,PP.html Will Jefferson] from the [ECB](/source/England_and_Wales_Cricket_Board)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson, Will}}
Category:English cricketers
Category:Essex cricketers
Category:Nottinghamshire cricketers
Category:People educated at Oundle School
Category:1979 births
Category:Living people
Category:Leicestershire cricketers
Category:Durham MCCU cricketers
Category:Cricketers from Derby
Category:British Universities cricketers
Category:Alumni of the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Will Jefferson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Jefferson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Jefferson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.