One of the best new ball bowlers in county cricket
Ben Coad is an outstanding, skilful new ball bowler, one who took his 200th first-class wicket in 2022. His current haul of 246 has come at an eye-catching average of 20.25.
A potent weapon in Yorkshire’s attack since debuting in Championship cricket in 2016, it is a significant surprise that the 30-year-old is yet to earn any kind of England recognition.
Not only is he a major weapon with the ball, he is also a very handy lower order batter – one who doesn’t like to die wondering. He has a best of 69 to his name in first-class cricket, scored in a late 2022 Championship match against Essex at Headingley.
Coad made his county one-day debut in 2013 and his T20 debut in 2015, with his first-class debut coming a year later – as aforementioned. He quickly nailed down a place courtesy of an impressive breakthrough summer in 2017, when he claimed 50 Championship wickets and was named the Members’ and Players’ Player of the Year. In 2018, he followed that up with 48 wickets in only nine Championship matches.
Coad, who graduated through the Academy, claimed a six-wicket haul in the opening Championship game of his maiden full season, against Hampshire at Headingley.
He was Yorkshire’s leading Championship wicket-taker in 2023 with 36 in 11 matches. He also enjoyed an impressive One-Day Cup campaign. He claimed five wickets in five matches, but his economy rate of 3.5 runs per over was the best of any bowler who played five matches or more across the entire competition. He would often bowl his 10 overs straight through with the new ball.
UPDATED: Feb 2024.
