James Carpenter (cricketer)

James Robert Carpenter (born 20 October 1975) is a former English cricketer. Carpenter was a left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. He was born at Birkenhead, Cheshire.

Carpenter made a single Minor Counties Championship appearance for Cheshire against Oxfordshire in 1996,[1] before joining Sussex in 1997. In that same year he made his first-class debut for the county against Surrey in the County Championship. He made infrequent appearances for Sussex in first-class cricket, making twelve more appearances, the last of which came against New Zealand A in 2000.[2] In his thirteen first-class appearances, he scored a total of 383 runs at an average of 15.95, with a high score of 65.[3] This score, which was one of two first-class fifties he made, came against Nottinghamshire in 1998.[4]

In his debut season, Carpenter also made his List A debut against Surrey in the 1997 AXA Life League. Utilised more by Sussex in the shorter format of the game, Carpenter made a total of 57 List A appearances. His appearances in this format went beyond his final first-class appearance in 2000, with his final List A match coming against Hampshire in the 2002 Norwich Union League. The majority of his List A appearances came in the 1998 and 1999 seasons, after which he found his opportunities limited.[5] In his 57 List A matches, Carpenter scored a total of 827 runs at an average of 22.97, with a high score of 64 not out.[6] This score was one of five half centuries he made in that format and came against Nottinghamshire in 1999.[7] He was released by Sussex at the end of the 2002 season.