Bird was a tail-end right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. Before turning professional Bird played club cricket for Optimists CC (now known as Bristol CC) where he was one of the opening bowlers for the Optimists CC team that won the National Knockout Cup final at Lords in 1992, finishing the final with figures of 0/25 from 9 overs.[2] After appearing in one second eleven match for Gloucestershire, he joined Somerset's staff for the 1994 season.
In his first season in professional cricket, Bird made a greater impact in one day cricket than in first-class cricket. His first wicket for the Somerset first XI was clean bowling Brian Lara in a Sunday League match in early May which was screened live on BBC2.[3] He played in five List A games during his first season - going at a miserly 4.5 runs an over in those games. He also played in 12 county second XI matches for Somerset over the course of the 1994 season, taking 39 wickets at an average of 22.92.[4]
Bird signed a new two-year contract with Somerset at the end of the 1994 season - as ten other players were released from the playing staff. With a much smaller first eleven squad and having been promised a long run in the first team, Bird then had to retire in June in the 1995 season with a serious shoulder injury just as his career was taking off.
He played for McKinnon Cricket Club in Melbourne, Australia in 1993 and 1995 – winning their bowler of the year both seasons.
Bird played club cricket for Chippenham CC in the West of England Premier League (WEPL) division one in 1999 and 2000. He played for Claverham CC, in Somerset, from 2001 to 2018 and helped them win the WEPL league (the Bristol and Somerset League) in 2004 and 2015. He retired from playing cricket at the end of the 2018 season.
Bird has two children, Alice and Harry, both of whom also play cricket. Alice and Harry play their youth team and senior cricket for Bristol CC - they joined the club in 2024, having previously been at Weston-super-Mare CC. Alice has played for Somerset CCC girls since 2017 and she made her debut for Somerset Women at the age of 14 in 2020. She has been in the Somerset CCC girls Emerging Players’ Programme since the 2021 season. And she was selected for the Western Storm EPP for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2024 Harry was selected for his fourth year in the Somerset CCC boys pathway - he was initially selected when he was 9 years old.[5]
Paul worked in sales and marketing for Imperial Tobacco for 20 years and for 9 years he owned the Cuban Cigar Specialist 'Birds of Baldwin Street' in the city centre of Bristol.[6]
He worked as cricket and coaching development manager, and as a coach, for Weston-super-Mare CC during the 2023 season.
Referencesedit
^"Paul Bird". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
paul, bird, cricketer, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from, arti. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Paul Bird cricketer news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2019 Learn how and when to remove this message Paul James Bird born 7 May 1971 played first class and List A cricket for Somerset in 1994 1 He was born in Bristol Paul BirdPersonal informationFull namePaul James BirdBorn 1971 05 07 7 May 1971 age 52 Bristol EnglandBattingRight handedBowlingRight arm fast mediumDomestic team informationYearsTeam1994SomersetCareer statisticsCompetition FC LAMatches 2 5Runs scored 12 4Batting average 6 00 4 00100s 50s 0 0 0 0Top score 7 4Balls bowled 269 168Wickets 0 3Bowling average 43 005 wickets in innings 010 wickets in match n aBest bowling 0 3 1 18Catches stumpings 0 2 Source CricketArchive 22 December 2015 Bird was a tail end right handed batsman and a right arm fast medium bowler Before turning professional Bird played club cricket for Optimists CC now known as Bristol CC where he was one of the opening bowlers for the Optimists CC team that won the National Knockout Cup final at Lords in 1992 finishing the final with figures of 0 25 from 9 overs 2 After appearing in one second eleven match for Gloucestershire he joined Somerset s staff for the 1994 season In his first season in professional cricket Bird made a greater impact in one day cricket than in first class cricket His first wicket for the Somerset first XI was clean bowling Brian Lara in a Sunday League match in early May which was screened live on BBC2 3 He played in five List A games during his first season going at a miserly 4 5 runs an over in those games He also played in 12 county second XI matches for Somerset over the course of the 1994 season taking 39 wickets at an average of 22 92 4 Bird signed a new two year contract with Somerset at the end of the 1994 season as ten other players were released from the playing staff With a much smaller first eleven squad and having been promised a long run in the first team Bird then had to retire in June in the 1995 season with a serious shoulder injury just as his career was taking off He played for McKinnon Cricket Club in Melbourne Australia in 1993 and 1995 winning their bowler of the year both seasons Bird played club cricket for Chippenham CC in the West of England Premier League WEPL division one in 1999 and 2000 He played for Claverham CC in Somerset from 2001 to 2018 and helped them win the WEPL league the Bristol and Somerset League in 2004 and 2015 He retired from playing cricket at the end of the 2018 season Bird has two children Alice and Harry both of whom also play cricket Alice and Harry play their youth team and senior cricket for Bristol CC they joined the club in 2024 having previously been at Weston super Mare CC Alice has played for Somerset CCC girls since 2017 and she made her debut for Somerset Women at the age of 14 in 2020 She has been in the Somerset CCC girls Emerging Players Programme since the 2021 season And she was selected for the Western Storm EPP for the 2023 and 2024 seasons In 2024 Harry was selected for his fourth year in the Somerset CCC boys pathway he was initially selected when he was 9 years old 5 Paul worked in sales and marketing for Imperial Tobacco for 20 years and for 9 years he owned the Cuban Cigar Specialist Birds of Baldwin Street in the city centre of Bristol 6 He worked as cricket and coaching development manager and as a coach for Weston super Mare CC during the 2023 season References edit Paul Bird www cricketarchive com Retrieved 23 June 2011 Wisden 1993 p 853 Wisden 1995 p 788 Wisden 1995 p 887 Being selected for Somerset Emerging Players Programme a privilege says Bird Weston Mercury 28 November 2020 Retrieved 31 March 2021 About Us Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Bird cricketer amp oldid 1222336943, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
