England

James Foster

Born: April 15, 1980, Whipps Cross, Leytonstone, Essex

James Foster bio

James Savin Foster, known as one of the greatest wicketkeepers in English cricket, had a remarkable career filled with moments of triumph and disappointment. Foster was born on April 15, 1980, in Essex, England, and from a young age, he displayed immense talent on the cricket field. His incredible skills and dedication to the sport ultimately led him to become one of England’s most respected glovemen.

From the early stages of his career, Foster was identified as a wicketkeeper destined for greatness. Although he initially faced sporadic opportunities at the international level, he quickly gained a reputation for his exceptional skills behind the stumps. As his career progressed, Foster not only became a key player for Essex, but also took on the role of captain and demonstrated his prowess as a batsman.

In a thrilling turn of events, Foster’s determination and hard work paid off when he won a championship medal as a part of Essex’s victorious 2017 squad. This achievement came at the age of 37, displaying Foster’s longevity and ability to contribute significantly to his team. Prior to this, Foster had been omitted from the side earlier in the season, but he responded with resilience and regained his place in the team, ultimately being rewarded with the championship victory. However, a year later, at the age of 38, Foster was informed that it was time to retire, reluctantly bidding farewell to the sport he loved.

Foster’s career began with a meteoric rise to prominence. After just four first-class matches for Essex, he was selected for England A’s tour of the West Indies in 2000-2001. While he initially split his time between studying at Durham University and playing for Essex, Foster eventually committed himself fully to cricket and was touted as a potential successor to the legendary Alec Stewart. His international debut came on the 2001-2002 tour of Zimbabwe, where he showcased his skills at Harare. Foster continued to impress during the tour of India, gaining confidence with each innings.

Despite his early success, Foster faced setbacks along the way. He was temporarily ousted from the one-day squad when England sought to find a balance by using Marcus Trescothick. Foster’s progress was further hampered when he suffered a broken arm during net practice with Essex, allowing Stewart to reclaim his position. Although Foster consistently performed well in county cricket, he found it difficult to regain his place in the national side. He was, however, selected as the reserve wicketkeeper for England’s Ashes tour in 2002.

Throughout his career, Foster only managed to earn one more Test cap, playing against Australia at Melbourne when Stewart suffered an arm injury. However, as England focused on fielding five bowlers, Foster struggled to secure a permanent position in the team. When Stewart retired at the end of the 2003 season, it was Chris Read, and later Matt Prior, who took the gloves, leaving Foster to watch from the sidelines.

Despite the disappointments at the international level, Foster thrived at Essex. During the 2007 season, he was appointed the team’s vice-captain and showcased his batting and keeping skills. In 2008, Foster’s outstanding performances behind the stumps, particularly his adeptness at standing up, earned him a spot in England’s World Twenty20 squad. He made a lasting impression in the tournament, especially with a brilliant stumping of Yuvraj Singh of India. Despite this, he was overlooked for England’s training and Lions squads leading up to the Ashes series.

Unfazed by these setbacks, Foster reclaimed his place in the Essex side and continued to excel. In a remarkable display of his hitting power, Foster struck Durham leg-spinner Scott Borthwick for five consecutive sixes off the first five balls of an over at Chester-le-Street. In June 2009, he was named the Essex Twenty20 captain and later took over full captaincy duties from Mark Pettini.

Although trophies eluded Essex’s limited-overs side, Foster established himself as a skilled and innovative finisher, often using unorthodox foot movements to unsettle bowlers. During the 2012-2013 season, Foster demonstrated his prowess as a Twenty20 player for Northern Districts.

There were rumors of an England recall with the return of Peter Moores as coach in 2014 and uncertainty surrounding the fitness of Matt Prior. However, the responsibility of donning the Test gloves fell to Jos Buttler. Foster accepted a role as the cricket professional of Forest School in East London toward the end of the following season, signaling that his career was drawing to a close. Despite relinquishing the captaincy to Ryan ten Doeschate, Foster continued to bring passion and energy to the game. His dedication and enthusiasm played a significant role in Essex’s promotion to higher ranks.

James Savin Foster contributed immensely to the world of cricket, leaving an enduring impact as one of England’s finest w

James Foster career stats

Batting stats

Batting Matches Innings Nos Runs High score Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 7 12 3 226 48 25.11 654 34.55 0 0 27 1 17 1
T20Is 5 5 2 37 14* 12.33 32 115.62 0 0 0 1 3 3
ODIs 11 6 3 41 13 13.66 71 57.74 0 0 0 0 13 7
FC 289 427 52 13761 212 36.69 - - 23 70 - - 839 62
List A 223 164 46 3357 83* 28.44 - - 0 16 - - 246 65
T20s 179 141 40 2158 65* 21.36 1539 140.22 0 7 177 67 79 47

Bowling stats

Bowling Matches Innings Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
Tests 7 - - - - - - - - - - - -
T20Is 5 - - - - - - - - - - - -
ODIs 11 - - - - - - - - - - - -
FC 289 - 84 128 1 1/122 1/122 128 9.14 84 0 0 0
List A 223 - 0 0 0 - - - - - 0 0 0
T20s 179 - - - - - - - - - - - -

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