Matthew James Hoggard

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A Yorkshire lad, born in Pudsey, home of that great Yorkshire bat Sir Leonard Hutton, Matthew Hoggard debuted for his home county at the age of 19 in 1996, but did not become a regular until the 2000 season, making an immediate impact when called into the first team due to injury to Chris Silverwood. Genuinely fast, he moves the ball of the seam and has considerable control of length and line. He gained valuable experience playing with Free State in South Africa in the 1998-99 season.

Hoggard made his England debut in the thrilling Lord's Test against the West Indians in 2000. He bowled well without taking a wicket, and had the traumatic experience of watching the 9th wicket pair knock off 31 runs to win the match, whilst he waited padded up as number 11. He played no more that summer but was rewarded with a place on the tour of Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2000-01. Although he failed to make a Test appearance, when called upon in tour games he bowled with enthusiasm, accuracy and aggression. However, Hoggard's 2001 season was blighted by injury. After taking six wickets in the second Test of the summer, against Pakistan, he was sidelined for the entire Ashes series. He returned to somewhere near his best form towards the end of the season to help Yorkshire clinch the CricInfo Championship, and was England's leading wicket-taker in the one-day tour of Zimbabwe which followed the season.

With just two Tests under his belt, Hoggard was presented with his greatest challenge so far when, for different reasons, neither Darren Gough nor Andrew Caddick was available for the Test tour of India. Hoggard responded with admirable consistency and again took most wickets for England in the series - nine at 31. In more favourable conditions he then reaped a career-best 7-63 in the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch to help set up England's victory. He ended the series with 17 wickets, just two behind the re-instated Caddick.

The one England bowler to play in every Test match of the 2002 summer, Hoggard started short of confidence, and was the most expensive member of England's attack at Lord's where it was flayed by Sri Lanka. With his place in jeopardy in the next Test he showed his mettle, with seven wickets in England's victory at Edgbaston to win the man-of-the-match award. Although his form dipped in the one-day series, he was a consistent wicket-taker in the Tests until India's majestic middle order flourished at his team's expense late in the summer, at the end of which he was given one of the first ECB one-year contracts.