Gary Keedy

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Gary Keedy
female =


country = England
fullname = Gary Keedy
nickname = Keeds
living = true
dayofbirth = 27
monthofbirth = 11
yearofbirth = 1974
placeofbirth = Sandal, Wakefield, Yorkshire
countryofbirth = England
dayofdeath =
monthofdeath =
yearofdeath =
placeofdeath =
countryofdeath =
heightft = 5
heightinch = 11
heightm =
batting = Left-hand
bowling = Slow left arm orthodox
role =
club1 = Lancashire
year1 = 1995–present
clubnumber1 = 23
club2 = Yorkshire
year2 = 1994
deliveries = balls
columns = 3
column1 = FC
matches1 = 165
runs1 = 1071
bat avg1 = 11.90
100s/50s1 = 0/2
top score1 = 64
deliveries1 = 33714
wickets1 = 499
bowl avg1 = 31.76
fivefor1 = 23
tenfor1 = 5
best bowling1 = 7/95
catches/stumpings1 = 45/–
column2 = LA
matches2 = 45
runs2 = 93
bat avg2 = 13.28
100s/50s2 = 0/0
top score2 = 33
deliveries2 = 1758
wickets2 = 47
bowl avg2 = 29.95
fivefor2 = 1
tenfor2 = n/a
best bowling2 = 5/30
catches/stumpings2 = 2/0
column3 = T20
matches3 = 34
runs3 = 19
bat avg3 = 6.33
100s/50s3 = 0/0
top score3 = 9*
deliveries3 = 663
wickets3 = 33
bowl avg3 = 21.21
fivefor3 = 0
tenfor3 = n/a
best bowling3 = 4/15
catches/stumpings3 = 3/–
date = 26 July
year = 2008
source = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/15840.html Cricinfo

Gary Keedy (born 27 November 1974 in Wakefield, Yorkshire) is a slow-left arm spin bowler for Lancashire.

Keedy graduated from the Yorkshire Cricket Academy and played only one match for Yorkshire before moving to Roses rivals Lancashire in the winter of 1994/5. [cite web |url= http://www.ecb.co.uk/stats/players/lancashire/gary-keedy,211,PP.html |author= |title=Gary Keedy player profile |publisher=ECB.co.uk |accessdate=2007-09-24] cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=play&id=14 |author=Colin Evans |title=Gary Keedy player profile |publisher=Lancashire County Cricket Club |accessdate=2007-09-24] Gary was signed by then Lancashire coach David Lloyd in a motorway eaterie on the M6.Fact|date=September 2007 Although it took time for him to become a leading light of the Lancashire attack, he was awarded his county cap in 2000.

Although Keedy has never played for the England test or one day senior team, between 1993 and 1994 he played 8 youth test matches taking 16 wickets at an average of 38.87 including the scalps of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Thilan Samaraweera. [cite web |url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/57/57803.html |author= |title=England Under-19s vs. West Indies Under-19s in England 1993 (2nd Test) |publisher=Cricket Archive |accessdate=2007-09-24] [cite web |url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/58/58315.html |author= |title=England Under-19s vs. Sri Lanka-19s in Sri Lanka 1993/4 (1st Test) |publisher=Cricket Archive |accessdate=2007-09-24] In the same period, he also played 6 youth ODIs, claiming 8 wickets at 16.37. [cite web |url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/7/7012/7012.html |author= |title=Gary Keedy career statistics |publisher=Cricket Archive |accessdate=2007-09-24]

It was in 2003 that Keedy first started to impress observers, taking sixty wickets in the County Championship as Lancashire narrowly missed out on their first Championship title since 1934 to Sussex. Since then he has remained on the periphery of England selection. He was considered unlucky not to win a place to tour Sri Lanka in 2003-4. The selectors chose Glamorgan's Robert Croft instead.

In 2004, Keedy enjoyed the most successful season of his career so far, taking 72 Championship wickets, making him the leading first-class wicket-taker amongst England qualified players. Only Mushtaq Ahmed of Sussex took more first class wickets. Unfortunately for him, Lancashire were relegated to Division Two of the Championship despite being favourites for the title. As a result of his bowling efforts during the 2004 season, Keedy was awarded Lancashire’s Player of the Year Award. [cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/cricket/s/131/131579_cricket_keedy_secures_top_honour.html |author=Colin Evans |title=Keedy secures top honour |publisher=Manchester Evening News |date=2004-09-24 |accessdate=2007-09-24]

He again missed out on selection to tour with England, this time to South Africa, in favour of the more conservative pick of Gareth Batty.

After taking 29 Championship wickets in 2005, Keedy suffered a finger injury on his spinning finger which ruled him out for the final month of the season. The injury likely cost Keedy a place on England's tour to Pakistan and India. Fact|date=July 2008

Until recently, many observers believed the main reason that Keedy had never played for the national team is his lack of batting talent and poor fielding qualities. Despite this, Northants' off-spinner Monty Panesar, who is also not renowned for his batting or fielding skills, played all three Tests in India, and has remained in the squad ever since.

In All Out Cricket's October 2006 edition, Gary Keedy was voted the best county player never to have played for England. [Citation | last= | first= | author-link= | title= | newspaper=All Out Cricket | volume= | issue=25 | pages= | year=2006 | date=October 2006 | url= ]

References