What a season it has been for Chirk’s Andy Swarbrick – the Joe Root of the Shropshire Cricket League

What a summer it has been for Chirk Cricket Club first XI captain Andrew Swarbrick.

Most runs in a single season by a country mile – 767 league, 819 in all competitions – three centuries and three fifties, the second highest score of his career (147) and 27 wickets into the bargain.

With five matches cancelled and one where he was absent, he could easily have reached the 1,000 run mark had he been involved in a full fixture set.

His runs tally is even more remarkable considering his first six innings accumulated just 116 – and there was an 82 among them.

It was not until he went run crazy with an unbeaten 142 at Worfield 2nd XI on June 19 that his season really caught fire.

Indeed it was his early-season bowling that was more impressive, 14 wickets in his opening four games and 19 in the first seven before that Worfield encounter.

Before 2021, Andrew had not scored 500 runs in a season.

He is currently the leading run scorer in Shropshire County League Division One by some distance.

ANDREW SWARBRICK – 2021 (CHIRK CCC – possible 3 matches still to go)

(Home): April 24, 2021: v St Georges 1st XI – Bat: 5; Ball: 4-71
(Away): May 1, 2021: v Pontesbury 1st XI – Bat: 82; Ball: 3-38
May 8, 2021: v Beacon 1st XI – Cancelled
May 15, 2021: v Alberbury 1st XI – Cancelled
(Away): May 22, 2021: Bridgnorth 2nd XI – Bat: 10; Ball: 3-28
(Home): May 29, 2021: Newtown 1st XI – Bat: 6 no; Ball: 4-23
(Away): June 5, 2021: Wellington 2nd XI – Bat: 9; Ball: 0-43
(Home): June 12, 2021: Cound 1st XI – Bat: 4; Ball: 3-8
(Away): June 19, 2021: Worfield 2nd XI – Bat: 142 no; Ball: 2-20
(Home): June 26, 2021: Shifnal 2nd XI – Bat: 99 no; Ball: 0-18
July 3, 2021: Bomere Heath 1st XI – Cancelled
(Away): July 10, 2021: St Georges 1st XI – Bat: 39; Ball: 1-29
(Home): July 17, 2021: Pontesbury 1st XI – Bat: 103; Ball: 3-7
(Away): July 24, 2021: Beacon 1st XI – Bat: 37; Ball: Did Not Bowl
(Home): July 31, 2021: Alberbury 1st XI – Bat: 84; Ball: 0-7
Aug 7, 2021: Bridgnorth 2nd XI – Cancelled
(Away): Aug 14, 2021: Newtown 1st XI – Did Not Play
Aug 21, 2021: Wellington 2nd XI – Cancelled
(Away): Aug 28, 2021: Count 1st XI: Bat: 147; Bowl: 4-25

Matches: 13
Innings: 13
Runs: 767
Not out: 3
Average: 76.70
100’s: 3
50’s: 3
Highest score: 147

Wickets: 27
Runs: 317
Average: 11.7
Best Bowling: 4-23

CAREER STATISTICS

Born: Oct 29, 1988
Chirk senior debut: 2002
Club runs (all competitions): 4565
Club wickets (all competitions): 306
Catches: 87
Highest score: 159 – Mochdre 2nd XI v CHIRK 1ST XI (18/7/2015)
Best bowling: 9/8 – CHIRK 1ST XI v Forton 1st XI (14/9/2019)
Most runs in a season: 767 (league)/819 (all competitions) – 2021
Most wickets in a season: 48 (league/all competitions) – 2019
(Further breakdown of statistics on Play Cricket website – all figures up to and including August 28, 2021)