Luke Wright      

Full name Luke James Wright

Born March 7, 1985, Grantham, Lincolnshire

Current age 24 years 260 days

Major teams England, England Lions, England Under-19s, Leicestershire, Leicestershire Cricket Board, Sussex

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium

Height 6 ft 0 in

Education Ratcliffe College. Loughborough University

As a pace-bowling allrounder, it's no surprise that Luke Wright admires Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff. When Flintoff retired from Test cricket after the 2009 Ashes, Wright was one the names mentioned as a potential successor and although he is some way off his game is progressing.

Among his achievements, Wright represented England Under-19s, won the Denis Compton medal three times and scored a century on his first-class debut for Sussex. He was also a key part of the Sussex team that won the C&G Trophy final in 2006. He spent two winters at the National Academy based at Loughborough University, where he was right at home having studied Sports Science and Sports Massage there.

He took his first steps towards emulating the likes of Flintoff and reaching the England side in February 2006 when he was called to the West Indies to bolster the England A squad, who had lost players to the seniors in India. Being in the Caribbean certainly beat spending your 21st birthday in the depths of the English winter.

But his career really blossomed during the 2007 Twenty20 Cup when he was the leading run-scorer with 346 runs. He hit 50 on his ODI debut against India, at The Oval in 2007 and earned a place in England's 15-man squad for the first World Twenty20 in South Africa. He has had a stop-start time at international level, but he hasn't been helped by being shunted from the middle order to opener and back down again.

However, there have been glimpses of his skill. At Napier, in 2008, he bowled his one and only over of the match to secure a tie against New Zealand and at the 2009 World Twenty20 gave the ball a thump as opener, although it was an all-or-nothing tournament for Wright. The latest move, though, is to have him back in the middle order to provide the boundary-hitting power that England often lack and a useful fourth seamer.
Jenny Thompson August 2009

NBC Denis Compton Award 2002

NBC Denis Compton Award 2004

NBC Denis Compton Award 2005

NBC Denis Compton Award 2007

Nov 10, 2009

Luke Wright was run out as England subsided

© Getty Images

Nov 4, 2009

Luke Wright works up a sweat

© Getty Images

Oct 2, 2009

Tim Bresnan and Luke Wright added 107 for the seventh wicket

© Associated Press

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