STEVE O’SHAUGHNESSY

Steve was born in Bury in 1961 and played 1st Class for and Worcestershire. He also played Minor Counties cricket for Cumberland.

In his 1st class career he scored 3720 runs at an average of 24 with 5 centuries and took 114 at an average of 36 with 4 for 66 his best bowling analysis.

In one day cricket he scored 2999 runs and took 115 wickets.

Prior to his 1st class career Steve represented Young England on tour in the West Indies and at home against India.

Steve made his debut for Lancashire in 1980 in a John Player Sunday League match versus Warwickshire and three days later his 1st class debut at The Parks against Oxford University. Here he made 50 and took 2 catches in an emphatic win.

From 1981 to 1987 he was a regular in the Lancashire side. In 1983 he made his first – 100 not out versus Yorkshire – but 1984 was to be his most successful season with the bat. He passed 1000 runs for the season and scored three hundreds – the highest being 159 not out against Somerset at Bath.

An unusual incident occurred on the last day of the 1983 season. Lancashire were playing Leicestershire and rain delayed the start by a day and a half. On the final day, facing (0‐102) and James Whittaker (0‐ 87), Steve and Graeme Fowler both scored centuries. Fowler in 46 mins but Steve’s was in 35 mins!! This won him the Walter Lawrence Trophy for the fastest century of the season and also was equal to Percy Fender’s all time record set in 1920. This contrived score was accepted by the organisers of the Trophy but Wisden decided to keep Fender’s record and include O’Shaughnessy’s score as a footnote!

Steve received his cap in 1985 but over the next three seasons his career started to decline. Wickets became harder to get and runs harder to score. So in 1988 he moved to Worcester where he made a promising start but it was a false dawn although he did help the County to the Nat West final where they were defeated by Middlesex.

By the end of 1989 he was playing 2nd XI cricket so he ended his first class career and moved on to eventually play Minor Counties cricket for Cumberland.

Since retiring from playing he has become an umpire and was promoted in December 2010 to the 1st Class panel for the 2011 season.