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Richard Kevin James Dawson

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Name:
Richard Kevin James Dawson

Born:
August 4, 1980, Doncaster, Yorkshire

Role:
Right-hand bat, Right-arm offbreak

County Debut:
2001-6

County Cap:
2 September 2004. YCCC Cap No. 154.

Nickname:
Billy

STATISTICS

BATTING AND FIELDING AVERAGES

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	50	4s	6s	Ct
Tests	7	13	3	114	19*	11.40	363	31.40	0	14	0	3
First-class	103	153	17	2927	87	21.52			12			63
List A	127	78	18	626	41	10.43			0			45
Twenty20	41	22	5	178	27*	10.47	159	111.94	0	12	2	13

BOWLING AVERAGES

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w
Tests	7	8	1116	677	11	4/134	4/134	61.54	3.63	101.4	1	0
First-class	103		15467	8770	199	6/82		44.07	3.40	77.7		5
List A	127		4766	3918	128	4/13	4/13	30.60	4.93	37.2	5	0
Twenty20	41	39	809	1045	39	3/24	3/24	26.79	7.75	20.7	0	0

PROFILE

Richard Dawson helped bowl Yorkshire to their first Championship since 1968, and at just 21 was chosen for England's 2001-02 tours to India and New Zealand. He began 2001 by graduating in Sport Science from the University of Exeter.

He had first played for Doncaster Town and began playing for Yorkshire at Under-11 level. He played for England at Under-14s and captained the Under-15 side. He also captained Yorkshire Under-15s to the Championship. He captained the University of Exeter side and then skippered British Universities.

In 2001 his county debut was delayed when he injured a finger fielding as 12th Man in the opening game at Canterbury. He debuted on 29 June and impressed with his attitude, turn and 37 runs which included two leg-side sixes off Phil DeFreitas. A few matches later against Surrey he took 6-98 - the first time a Yorkshire spinner had taken six wickets in an innings at Headingley since Carrick 12 years earlier.

He ended with 30 wickets at 33.80 as Yorkshire won the Championship title in 2001 after bowling more overs than any other Yorkshire bowler. He was selected on the winter tour with England and joined Brian Close and Matthew Hoggard in winning his England cap before his county cap - that didn't come until 2004.

An accurate, attacking bowler with a dainty, high-stepping action he gave the ball good flight and often found plenty of turn and grip. His height also allowed him to extract good bounce. Easy-going and quick to learn, he took four wickets in his debut innings at Mohali, and stepped into the breach against Australia the following winter, following an injury to Ashley Giles. He proved his temperament with some brave batting against the likes of Brett Lee.

He then faded from the reckoning as his off-spin became increasingly inconsistent and by the end of 2006 he was unable to command a place in the Yorkshire side and found himself released from the Club.

Northamptonshire quickly snapped him up on a one-year deal for 2007. It was a short-lived stay and his deal wasn't renewed, leaving him out of the professional set-up until Gloucestershire came knocking towards the end of the 2008 season.

JMB October 2010