Rizwan profile

Rizwan

Young Player of the Year 2004

Rizwan Hamid: Debut: 2003.

There are good bowlers, there are lucky bowlers and there are bowlers who have apparently upset every assorted deity known to man and there is little doubt that Rizwan belongs in the latter category. The man is little short of the patron saint of unlucky bowlers.

To suggest he has no luck would be to unfair because he has plenty – it’s just that most of it is malign and poisoned. His 2006 campaign summed it up perfectly. He bowled well, generated pace and movement and was too good for numerous batsmen but ended up with all of five wickets for 340 runs despite repeatedly beating the bat and having to bear a heavy workload in the absence of other seamers.

However, the club’s 2004 Young Player of the Year has rebounded impressively in 2007 after bulking up and adding power. He has broken the 50-wicket mark for his career and claimed his first five-wicket haul when he shattered Therfield’s middle order to clinch an improbable victory. He has the ability to bowl with real pace and venom and can hurry the best batsmen with spells of genuine malice.

His batting has also shown signs of promise as he has been given more chances up the order and now no longer attempts to mow everything out of the ground regardless of line or length. He recorded his highest score of his career with a brilliant cameo that sparked a huge run chase against Houghton Town and has demonstrated the ability to clear the boundary and knock good bowlers off their stride. Sadly he also experienced a disastrous run during the season where he racked up four consecutive ducks to earn the nickname Audi on account of four rings.

His fielding is a mixture. He is particularly fearless off his own bowling, never hesitating to thrust out a hand or a boot as an exocet heads back towards him. At times his attention wanders slightly in the field and he drops some chances that he should do better with. However, his catching has come on considerably since his formative days at the club and he has the ability to hold on to most chances that come his way.