Paul Horton

Infobox cricketer biography
playername = Paul Horton
female =


country = England
fullname = Paul James Horton
nickname = Horts
living = true
dayofbirth = 20
monthofbirth = 09
yearofbirth = 1982
placeofbirth = Sydney, New South Wales
countryofbirth = Australia
dayofdeath =
monthofdeath =
yearofdeath =
placeofdeath =
countryofdeath =
heightft = 5
heightinch = 10
heightm =
batting = Right-hand
bowling = Right-arm medium
role =

club1 = Lancashire
year1 = 2003–present
clubnumber1 =
club2 =
year2 =
deliveries = balls
columns = 3
column1 = FC
matches1 = 32
runs1 = 2287
bat avg1 = 50.82
100s/50s1 = 6/11
top score1 = 152
deliveries1 = 0
wickets1 = 0
bowl avg1 = n/a
fivefor1 = n/a
tenfor1 = n/a
best bowling1 = n/a
catches/stumpings1 = 24/1
column2 = LA
matches2 = 20
runs2 = 307
bat avg2 = 18.05
100s/50s2 = 0/0
top score2 = 47
deliveries2 = 0
wickets2 = 0
bowl avg2 = n/a
fivefor2 = n/a
tenfor2 = n/a
best bowling2 = n/a
catches/stumpings2 = 1/–
column3 = T20
matches3 = 5
runs3 = 28
bat avg3 = 9.33
100s/50s3 = 0/0
top score3 = 11
deliveries3 = 0
wickets3 = 0
bowl avg3 = n/a
fivefor3 = n/a
tenfor3 = n/a
best bowling3 = n/a
catches/stumpings3 = 2/–

date = June 3
year = 2008
source = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/player/15338.html Cricinfo.com

Paul James Horton (born 20 September 1982 in Sydney, Australia) is a current Lancashire cricketer.

Horton was born and raised in Sydney, Australia before moving to Liverpool, England, (the native home of his parents) as a teenager. His first season of cricket in England was played at Winstanley, a team based in Billinge, Wigan, with which he impressed and got noticed by the Lancashire youth. The following season he played his club cricket at Sefton in Aigburth, Liverpool as this league was of a higher standard. He then joined the Lancashire youth set up and captained the U17 and U19 teams. [cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=play&id=13 |title=Paul James Horton |publisher=Lancashire County Cricket Club Retrieved on 28 September 2008.]

Career

Lancashire

Horton joined the Lancashire first team squad in 2003. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/143662.html |author=Wisden Cricinfo staff |title=Lancashire release Schofield and Haynes in reshuffle |publisher=Cricinfo |date=29 September 2004 Retrieved on 28 September 2007.] He came close to scoring his maiden first class century in July 2005 when he scored 99 batting at number four against Essex in a drawn match; he was dismissed by Grant Flower two overs before the end of the day. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/4709903.stm |title=Loye bats Lancs towards stalemate |publisher=BBC Online |date=23 July 2005 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] After failing to cement a place in the Lancashire team Horton spent the winter of 2006/07 playing grade cricket in Australia to improve his batting. He spent the season playing for Ginninderra Cricket Club in Canberra. [cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/cricket/s/1006/1006294_bighit_horton_fears_axe.html |author=Chris Ostick |title=Big-hit Horton fears axe |work=Manchester Evening News |date=5 May 2007 Retrieved on 25 August 2008.] He also represented the Canberra Comets in the second tier Cricket Australia Cup which is a state second XI competition one level below first class status. [cite web |url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/cricket/comets-appeal-to-shooting-star-from-english-county/158699.aspx |author=Sam Worthington |title=Comets appeal to shooting star from English county |work=The Canberra Times |date=20 September 2006 Retrieved on 25 August 2008.] After several seasons of impressing in second XI cricket, Horton finally broke through and established himself in the first team.

In May 2007 Horton hit his maiden century for Lancashire with 139 in a County Championship match against Worcestershire; his effort came on the final day of a drawn match and he spent 12 overs in marooned in the 90s. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/294703.html |author=Cricinfo staff |title=Nicholson gives Surrey winning chance |publisher=Cricinfo |date=18 May 2007 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] A few weeks later in August, Horton bettered that with a 149 against their great rivals Yorkshire; this came in a partnership of 258 with Stuart Law for Lancashire's highest partnership for any wicket in first-class cricket against Yorkshire, beating the previous record of 247 set by Graham Lloyd and Ian Austin in 1997. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/306497.html |author=John Ward |title=Law and Horton flay Yorkshire |publisher=Cricinfo Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] Also in August the same year, Horton set another career best of 152 against Hampshire in a drawn match. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/308037.html |author=Cricinfo staff |title=Horton ton boosts Lancashire |publisher=Cricinfo |date=23 August 2007 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/308167.html |author=Cricinfo staff |title=Warne could miss rest of season |publisher=Cricinfo |date=24 August 2007 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] A successful 2007 season for Horton was recognised by the club when he received his Lancashire Cap and was named Lancashire Player of the Year at the end of the season. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/346897.html |author=Andrew McGlashan |title=Follow-on looms for Lancashire |publisher=Cricinfo |date=18 Apirl 2008 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] He finished the season with 1,034 championship runs at an average of 49.23. [cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1658 |author= |title=Horton named Player of the Year |publisher=Lancashire County Cricket Club |date=27 September 2007 Retrieved on 28 September 2007.] [cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1659 |title=Mahmood and Horton receive County Honour |publisher=Lancashire County Cricket Club |date=27 September 2007 Retrieved on 28 September 2007.] As a result of his on field exploits, Horton was named the BBC North West Sports Awards Newcomer for 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1722 |author= |title=Horton named best Newcomer |publisher=Lancashire County Cricket Club |date=27 Novemeber 2007 Retrieved on 30 November 2007.]

In May 2008, Horton scored 108 against a Durham bowling attack including Steve Harmison, who had been dropped from the England side, before being run out. His century was part of a Lancashire victory by 232 runs as James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff shared 16 wickets in the match. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/350362.html |author=John Ward |title=Flintoff's run struggle continues |publisher=Cricinfo |date=8 May 2008 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] Horton scored his sixth first class century, and his second against Yorkshire, in May 2008. He scored 152, equalling his best score, and shared a partnership of 258 with Mohammad Yousuf who went on to score 205* as the match was drawn, equalling Lancashire's record for any partnership against Yorkshire. [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/353094.html |author=John Ward |title=Horton and Yousuf take control |publisher=Cricinfo |date=31 May 2008 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.] [cite web |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2007/content/story/353377.html |author=John Ward |title=Yousuf double-century confirms draw |publisher=Cricinfo |date=2 June 2008 Retrieved on 6 June 2008.]

In July 2008, Lancashire captain Stuart Law expressed the view that Horton was playing well enough to play for England but that his batting could still improve After a series of good performances in the Lancashire's first-class side, Horton stated that he wanted to play more one day cricket. [cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/cricket/s/1060215_stuart_law_column |author=Stuart Law |title=Stuart Law column |work=Manchester Evening News |date=29 July 2008 Retrieved on 25 August 2008.] On 25 August 2008, Horton scored his maiden list A half-century. Batting at number three, he top scored for Lancashire with 56 from 75 balls against Sussex.

References

External links

* [http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/44/44781/44781.html CricketArchive stats]
* [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/15338.html Cricinfo player profile]