Pocklington Graduates to First Class Ranks

Lincolnshire all-rounder Joe Pocklington has become the latest National Counties player to be snapped up by a first-class county.

The left-handed batter and left-arm spinner has signed a short-term contract with Nottinghamshire for the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Pocklington’s performances for Lincolnshire in recent seasons had been noted by Nottinghamshire with a century against Glamorgan in a recent Second XI Championship match at Newport helping to secure his first professional contract.

“We’re really pleased for Joe that his performances for Lincolnshire have seen him recognised with this opportunity,” said Nottinghamshire Second XI coach Steven Mullaney

“It also shows how strongly we at Notts value our partnerships with neighbouring counties, and we hope him taking this step can act as inspiration to many more young players from Lincolnshire.

“We wish him the best of luck during the One Day Cup and look forward to see him putting in big performances in an Outlaws shirt.”

Pocklington also had trials with Yorkshire at the start of the season and has played four seasons for the Leeds/Bradford MCCU team.

He made his Lincolnshire debut two years ago and made his most recent appearance for his adopted county – he was born and educated in Sussex – in a National Counties T20 match against Suffolk at Bourne in June.

Pocklington is the sixth National Counties player to be signed by a first-class county in just over a fortnight following Staffordshire pair Joe Hawkins and Rory Haydon and Bedfordshire batter Amrit Basra (Derbyshire), Hertfordshire batter/ slow left-armer Andrew Neal (Hampshire) and Cambridgeshire batter Nikhil Gorantla (Surrey).

They join more than 150 players on the staff of the 18 first-class counties who have played for one of the 20 National – formerly Minor – Counties cricket at some stage in their careers, emphasising its importance in the development of young players.