Oliver Benjamin Cox (born 2 February 1992) is an English cricketer who plays county cricket for Leicestershire as right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper.
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Oliver Benjamin Cox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 February 1992 Wordsley, West Midlands, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2023 | Worcestershire (squad no. 10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Boost Defenders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018/19 | Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | → Leicestershire (on loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Leicestershire (squad no. 7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 16 September 2009 Worcestershire v Somerset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LA debut | 19 July 2010 Worcestershire v Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 29 September 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cox has been associated with Worcestershire for some years, having played at Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 level, although not originally as a wicket-keeper.[1]
He captained the Under-17 side against Somerset U-17s in July 2009, scoring exactly 100.[2]
Cox was called up to make his first-class debut, aged 17, in Worcestershire's penultimate County Championship match of 2009, against Somerset at Taunton. He scored 61 in his only innings of a drawn match (sharing a century partnership with Daryl Mitchell, who scored 298); keeping wicket, his first first-class dismissal was that of Marcus Trescothick, stumped off the bowling of Moeen Ali for 72.[3][4] He was awarded a four-year contract by Worcestershire later that year.[5]
Cox did not establish himself as Worcestershire's first choice wicket-keeper until 2014 when he was 22 years of age. In that season he scored his first first-class century (against Essex) and was described by former-England wicket-keeper James Foster as "...one of the best young keepers I have ever seen."[6][7]
In 2018 Vitality Blast Finals day, Cox played a key part in Worcestershire winning their first Vitality T20 Blast trophy. In the Semi-Final, against Lancashire he scored 55* and in the final, against Sussex made 46*, scoring the winning runs. He was made Player of the Match in both games to become to first player to receive two such awards in one day .[8]
In December 2018, he signed with Otago cricket team to play in the 2018–19 Super Smash T20 tournament in New Zealand.[9]
In The 2021 Vitality Blast Campaign, Ben Cox was appointed captain for the competition due to the absence of Moeen Ali. After a 14-year stay at Worcestershire, Ben Cox joined Leicestershire in September 2023.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Other matches played by Ben Cox". CricketArchive. 21 September 2009. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010.
- ^ "Somerset Under-17s v Worcestershire Under-17s in 2009". CricketArchive. 21 September 2009.
- ^ "County Championship Div. 1 at Taunton, Sep 16–19 2009: Somerset vs Worcestershire". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ^ "Ben Cox". YouTube, extract from Midlands Today. 22 September 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Ben Cox Signs Four-Year Contract At New Road". Cricketworld.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
- ^ "Maiden Cox ton is Worcs reward". Cricinfo. 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Essex Rival Foster Heaps Praise On Display Of County Keeper Cox". Worcestershire CCC. 22 May 2014.
- ^ "BBC report of 2018 T20 finals day". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Englishman Ben Cox on board for Otago for Super Smash tournament". Otago Daily Times. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "Ben Cox ends 14-year stint at Worcestershire with switch to Grace Road". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 March 2024.