Paul Roberts (cricketer)

Christopher Paul Roberts (12 October 1951 – 9 June 1977) was an English first-class cricketer who played one first-class match and one List A game for Worcestershire in 1974.

Early Life and Minor Career

Roberts was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, on 12 October 1951. He played for Worcestershire's second team on numerous occasions between 1971 and 1973, and also appeared twice for Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Championship.

Breakthrough and First-Team Appearances

In mid-August 1974, Roberts produced a remarkable bowling performance of 8–13 for Worcestershire II against Lancashire II in a very low-scoring match in which all 40 wickets fell in a single day. Worcestershire II won by 64 runs, using only two bowlers.

This performance earned him an immediate call-up to the first team for the John Player League (List A) match against Surrey. He took 2–32 from his eight overs, including the wicket of Geoff Howarth, in a rain-curtailed match that Worcestershire won on run rate. Later that month, he was selected for a County Championship (first-class) match against Glamorgan, in which he took one wicket (that of Arthur Francis) from 21 overs. Worcestershire won by ten wickets and finished the season as County Champions by a margin of only two points.

Later Career and Death

In 1975, Roberts played only minor cricket, mostly for the Worcestershire second team, and also appeared in a warm-up match for the 1975 Cricket World Cup, a 55-over game in which he took the wicket of Indian batsman Gundappa Viswanath. That match did not hold List A status.

Roberts subsequently worked as a teacher in Kidderminster.

On 9 June 1977, Roberts died at the age of 25 after falling approximately 200 feet while climbing on Raven Crag, Borrowdale, in the Lake District. A companion also died in the incident.

Career Statistics

Roberts was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler.