England

Chris Adams

Born: May 06, 1970, Whitwell, Derbyshire

Chris Adams bio

Christopher John Adams, commonly known as Chris Adams, is a former English cricketer and coach. Born on August 6, 1970, in Leicester, England, Adams had a career filled with highs and lows, leaving a lasting impact on the sport.

Adams kickstarted his cricketing journey at Derbyshire, his home county, where he showcased his explosive batting skills. His aggressive batting style allowed him to amass over 8,000 first-class runs during his tenure at Derbyshire. However, his aggressive instincts proved to be his downfall during his brief stint in Test cricket in South Africa in 1999-2000. His loose drives and lack of footwork led to his downfall on multiple occasions, restricting his Test appearances to just that tour.

Known for his combative nature, Adams was not one to shy away from confrontation. In the 1993 B&H final, Adams found himself squaring up against the legendary Wasim Akram. It took the intervention of their teammates to diffuse the situation and avoid an escalated conflict.

In 1998, Adams joined Sussex as a highly-paid captain, marking the beginning of a transformative period for the club. Alongside Michael Bevan, Adams played a pivotal role in rescuing Sussex’s middle order. His hard work paid off in 2003 when he led Sussex to their first-ever County Championship title. His exceptional leadership and contributions to Sussex’s success earned him the recognition of being named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in April 2004.

Adams continued to lead Sussex to further triumphs, winning the C&G Trophy and the Championship in 2006. Despite raising a few eyebrows, Adams initially decided to move to Yorkshire as a player-coach at the end of the 2006 season. However, shortly after his decision, he made a U-turn and stayed at Sussex for the 2007 season. During this time, he secured yet another Championship win for Sussex.

Adams’ desire for new challenges led him to join Surrey as their professional cricket manager. Tasked with rejuvenating a struggling side that failed to win a Championship match in 2008, Adams faced an uphill battle. With the removal of deadwood and the integration of young talents, Surrey slowly regained their strength. In 2011, Surrey surged to promotion in the Championship and lifted the Clydesdale Bank 40 title, marking their first trophy in eight seasons.

However, despite early successes, a toxic culture began to plague the Surrey squad. Several young players pushed the boundaries of work-life balance to an extreme, ultimately resulting in the tragic death of Tom Maynard in June 2012. Adams’ inability to control this culture led to implications for his tenure as Surrey’s coach.

In response to the tragedy, Adams focused on recruiting seasoned players such as Vikram Solanki and Gary Keedy, as well as bringing in Graeme Smith, the South African captain, to rebuild the team for the 2013 season. However, the expected immediate success did not materialize, and Adams was ultimately sacked in June 2013, along with his assistant Ian Salisbury.

Though his coaching career ended on a sour note, Chris Adams made his mark as a player and leader within the English cricketing landscape. His explosive batting, combative nature, and contributions to transforming Sussex into a successful county will forever be etched in cricketing history.

Chris Adams career stats

Batting stats

Batting Matches Innings Nos Runs High score Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 5 8 0 104 31 13 285 36.49 0 0 13 0 6 0
T20Is - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ODIs 5 4 0 71 42 17.75 144 49.3 0 0 3 0 3 0
FC 336 546 41 19535 239 38.68 - - 48 93 - - 404 0
List A 367 347 58 11481 163 39.72 - - 21 69 - - 165 0
T20s 42 38 8 880 63 29.33 737 119.4 0 3 76 23 10 0

Bowling stats

Bowling Matches Innings Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
Tests 5 2 120 59 1 1/42 1/42 59 2.95 120 0 0 0
T20Is - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ODIs 5 - - - - - - - - - - - -
FC 336 - 3288 1935 41 4/28 - 47.19 3.53 80.1 - 0 0
List A 367 - 1391 1217 32 5/16 5/16 38.03 5.24 43.4 0 1 0
T20s 42 - - - - - - - - - - - -

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