Greg Smith

Squad Number - 14

Player Sponsor - Cricket Society http://lcs.councilcricketsocieties.com/

Born - Leicester, 16 November, 1988

Joined - Leicestershire 2008 (Academy 2005)

Role - Right Hand Opening Batsman, Occasional Leg Break Bowler

Family -

Teams Represented - Leicestershire, England under 19s

Hoours - England under 19s

Highlight of Career - Scoring back-to-back 150s in an England under 19s test series against New Zealand in 2008.

Players Admired - Aravinda de Silva, Matthew Boyce, Russell Spiers

Relaxations - Darts, Eating out

An opening batsman who times the ball well, Greg Smith is combining his Leicestershire career with his university studies at Durham. As well as juggling his academic career with his cricket, Smith also suffered a broken thumb during 2009 which made life awkward.

He progressed remarkably from Kibworth second XI to the first team by the end of the 2008 season, and had some promising knocks when he returned from the north-east last season.

He also gained international honours in that ’08 campaign, scoring two test match centuries for England under 19s.

Smith also won the award for outstanding performance in the second XI with a marvellous 146 against Northants and went on to post maiden half-centuries in both four-day cricket and one-day cricket by the end of the season for the first team.

Progress is always difficult when juggling two careers, but Smith clearly has potential and played some first-class cricket at Uni before suffering the injury. He then returned to Grace Road and played some good knocks.

His innings at The Oval last season demonstrated great maturity and his partnership with Boeta Dippenaar after the early loss of Matthew Boyce helped set a platform to build on.

Despite his rise to the Leicestershire first team, Smith still recognises his roots by continuing to play for Kibworth. The opener appeared in their Cockspur Cup success against Malden Wanderers at Southgate in ’08 – a game which would also have featured Cobb had he not been ineligible.

A youngster who drives the ball with a flourish, expect to see plenty of Smith during the 2010 campaign when he returns from university again.

Recently signed a new three-year deal to keep him at the Club until at least the end of the 2012 season.

Smith's career record at Leics (up to end of 2009 season):

GP Smith 2009 (75.49 kB)