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Dominic Cork
Dominic Gerald Cork (born 7 August 1971) is a former English county and international cricketer. Cork was an all-rounder who batted at lower-order batsman and bowled right-arm fast-medium, and was renowned for his swing and seam control. Cork had a lethal out-swinger that got him success throughout the 1990s. In 1995, he took the best figures for an England bowler on Test debut, with 7 for 43 in the second innings against the West Indies.
Making his début in first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1990, he was selected to play for England in 1992, aged 21. He made 69 appearances for England from 1992 to 2002. Cork played for Derbyshire for 13 years, before leaving under controversial circumstances to join Lancashire in 2004. Leaving Lancashire after the 2008 season, Cork joined Hampshire, who he played for from 2009 to 2011, acting as captain for much of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. While at Hampshire he won the 2009 Friends Provident Trophy, and captained the county to victory in the 2010 Friends Provident t20. He was released by Hampshire at the end of the 2011 season, shortly thereafter he announced his retirement on Sky Sports News on 22 September 2011. His popular nickname is "Corky".
Cork was born the youngest of three boys in Newcastle-under-Lyme to Mary and Gerald Cork, both Catholics of West Country origin. His grandfather, Archibald Cork, played non-league football for Port Vale F.C. in the 1910s. His father worked as a financial consultant. He was educated at St. Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent, before continuing his education at Newcastle-under-Lyme College.
While playing for Staffordshire, Cork made his Youth ODI début for England Under-19's against New Zealand Under-19s in August 1989. Later in August he made his Youth Test début against the same opposition. He played six further Youth Tests to 1990 and five further Youth ODIs to 1990. Following strong performances for Derbyshire in the 1991 season, he earned himself a call up to the England A team for their 1992 tour of the West Indies, where he played in two first-class matches against the Windward Islands and West Indies A.
Later in the year, following further strong performances for Derbyshire, he made his full international début in a One Day International against Pakistan at Old Trafford. He took one wicket in the match, that of Inzamam-ul-Haq. Cork played infrequently for England over the coming seasons, playing just two ODIs each in 1993 and 1994, against Australia and South Africa respectively. However, in May 1995 he played in three ODIs against the West Indies, taking 6 wickets at a bowling average of 21.81, with best figures 3/27.
Later in the season he made his Test debut against the same opposition. In his maiden Test match he hit the first ball he received for 4 runs before going on to score 30 runs in England's first-innings, eventually being bowled by Courtney Walsh. In the second innings he scored 23 runs before being dismissed by Ian Bishop. His first Test wicket came in the West Indies' first innings when he dismissed Ian Bishop. More was to come in their second innings when from 124/3, Cork unleashed a bowling spell in which he took 7/43 – the best figures by an Englishman on Test debut – to help dismiss them for 223. This performance highlighted that at the time, Cork was the best all-rounder in England and also got his name on the Lord's Honours Boards. It also earned him the tag of "the new Botham" from the media. Two Tests later he took a Test cricket hat-trick (only the 22nd in Test history), when he dismissed Richie Richardson, Junior Murray and Carl Hooper in successive balls in the West Indies second-innings; he was the first Englishman since Peter Loader in 1957 to achieve the feat. Cork finished the series with 26 wickets at an average of 25.42. He also struck his maiden Test half century, making an unbeaten 56 in the 4th Test.
Cork had a productive time in South Africa during their winter tour, playing five Tests and six ODIs during the tour. Cork was once more England's leading wicket-taker, with 19 Test wickets at an average of 25.52 and best innings figures of 5/84. He was similarly successful in the ODI series with the ball, England's second highest wicket-taker behind Derbyshire teammate Phil DeFreitas, with 10 wickets at 26.40 a piece. Cork was selected at part of England's squad for the 1996 World Cup in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In a tournament in which none of the England bowlers shone, Cork was the leading English wicket-taker, with 8 at 27.00. Despite this, Cork and rest of the England team were heavily criticised in the media for what had been an unsuccessful tournament which saw them defeated by eventual winners Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals.
Later in 1996, Cork had a less successful period in Test cricket, taking 10 wickets during India's three match Test tour at an average of 36.90. Later followed a quiet Test series against Pakistan, in which he had 12 wickets at a little over 36 a piece. His form with the bat was little better in either series, with his all-round ability seemingly having deserted him. Despite this, he was made a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1996. Prior to the tour of New Zealand, Cork suffered personal issues off the pitch with the breakdown of his marriage to his first wife Jane. His personal issues impacted his performances on the field, this was illustrated by his bowling performances. At the end of the Test series he had taken just 7 wickets at an average of 42.85. His batting did fare better, scoring 59 in the first Test and he led England to a series winning victory in the 3rd Test, putting on 76 runs with John Crawley to remind people of the batting side of his game. He fared even worse in the ODI series though, taking just a single wicket throughout at the cost of 145 runs. He would not play another ODI until 2001. Cork described how he was not in the right frame of mind to play international cricket at the time and how his performances were affected by this, further commenting he had no idea when running in to bowl what delivery he would send down to the batsman. There was, however, a feeling in some quarters that Cork was "more style than substance", and during the tour he was the target of a comment from Geoffrey Boycott who alleged that Cork was a "show pony" with "an attitude problem". Cork was prevented from answering Boycott back when injury prevented him from playing during most of the 1997 English season.
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Dominic Cork
Dominic Gerald Cork (born 7 August 1971) is a former English county and international cricketer. Cork was an all-rounder who batted at lower-order batsman and bowled right-arm fast-medium, and was renowned for his swing and seam control. Cork had a lethal out-swinger that got him success throughout the 1990s. In 1995, he took the best figures for an England bowler on Test debut, with 7 for 43 in the second innings against the West Indies.
Making his début in first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1990, he was selected to play for England in 1992, aged 21. He made 69 appearances for England from 1992 to 2002. Cork played for Derbyshire for 13 years, before leaving under controversial circumstances to join Lancashire in 2004. Leaving Lancashire after the 2008 season, Cork joined Hampshire, who he played for from 2009 to 2011, acting as captain for much of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. While at Hampshire he won the 2009 Friends Provident Trophy, and captained the county to victory in the 2010 Friends Provident t20. He was released by Hampshire at the end of the 2011 season, shortly thereafter he announced his retirement on Sky Sports News on 22 September 2011. His popular nickname is "Corky".
Cork was born the youngest of three boys in Newcastle-under-Lyme to Mary and Gerald Cork, both Catholics of West Country origin. His grandfather, Archibald Cork, played non-league football for Port Vale F.C. in the 1910s. His father worked as a financial consultant. He was educated at St. Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent, before continuing his education at Newcastle-under-Lyme College.
While playing for Staffordshire, Cork made his Youth ODI début for England Under-19's against New Zealand Under-19s in August 1989. Later in August he made his Youth Test début against the same opposition. He played six further Youth Tests to 1990 and five further Youth ODIs to 1990. Following strong performances for Derbyshire in the 1991 season, he earned himself a call up to the England A team for their 1992 tour of the West Indies, where he played in two first-class matches against the Windward Islands and West Indies A.
Later in the year, following further strong performances for Derbyshire, he made his full international début in a One Day International against Pakistan at Old Trafford. He took one wicket in the match, that of Inzamam-ul-Haq. Cork played infrequently for England over the coming seasons, playing just two ODIs each in 1993 and 1994, against Australia and South Africa respectively. However, in May 1995 he played in three ODIs against the West Indies, taking 6 wickets at a bowling average of 21.81, with best figures 3/27.
Later in the season he made his Test debut against the same opposition. In his maiden Test match he hit the first ball he received for 4 runs before going on to score 30 runs in England's first-innings, eventually being bowled by Courtney Walsh. In the second innings he scored 23 runs before being dismissed by Ian Bishop. His first Test wicket came in the West Indies' first innings when he dismissed Ian Bishop. More was to come in their second innings when from 124/3, Cork unleashed a bowling spell in which he took 7/43 – the best figures by an Englishman on Test debut – to help dismiss them for 223. This performance highlighted that at the time, Cork was the best all-rounder in England and also got his name on the Lord's Honours Boards. It also earned him the tag of "the new Botham" from the media. Two Tests later he took a Test cricket hat-trick (only the 22nd in Test history), when he dismissed Richie Richardson, Junior Murray and Carl Hooper in successive balls in the West Indies second-innings; he was the first Englishman since Peter Loader in 1957 to achieve the feat. Cork finished the series with 26 wickets at an average of 25.42. He also struck his maiden Test half century, making an unbeaten 56 in the 4th Test.
Cork had a productive time in South Africa during their winter tour, playing five Tests and six ODIs during the tour. Cork was once more England's leading wicket-taker, with 19 Test wickets at an average of 25.52 and best innings figures of 5/84. He was similarly successful in the ODI series with the ball, England's second highest wicket-taker behind Derbyshire teammate Phil DeFreitas, with 10 wickets at 26.40 a piece. Cork was selected at part of England's squad for the 1996 World Cup in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In a tournament in which none of the England bowlers shone, Cork was the leading English wicket-taker, with 8 at 27.00. Despite this, Cork and rest of the England team were heavily criticised in the media for what had been an unsuccessful tournament which saw them defeated by eventual winners Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals.
Later in 1996, Cork had a less successful period in Test cricket, taking 10 wickets during India's three match Test tour at an average of 36.90. Later followed a quiet Test series against Pakistan, in which he had 12 wickets at a little over 36 a piece. His form with the bat was little better in either series, with his all-round ability seemingly having deserted him. Despite this, he was made a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1996. Prior to the tour of New Zealand, Cork suffered personal issues off the pitch with the breakdown of his marriage to his first wife Jane. His personal issues impacted his performances on the field, this was illustrated by his bowling performances. At the end of the Test series he had taken just 7 wickets at an average of 42.85. His batting did fare better, scoring 59 in the first Test and he led England to a series winning victory in the 3rd Test, putting on 76 runs with John Crawley to remind people of the batting side of his game. He fared even worse in the ODI series though, taking just a single wicket throughout at the cost of 145 runs. He would not play another ODI until 2001. Cork described how he was not in the right frame of mind to play international cricket at the time and how his performances were affected by this, further commenting he had no idea when running in to bowl what delivery he would send down to the batsman. There was, however, a feeling in some quarters that Cork was "more style than substance", and during the tour he was the target of a comment from Geoffrey Boycott who alleged that Cork was a "show pony" with "an attitude problem". Cork was prevented from answering Boycott back when injury prevented him from playing during most of the 1997 English season.