Billy Godleman

Once considered a teenage prodigy, Billy Godleman is an English first-class player who plays for Derbyshire. 

A left-handed batsman, Godleman has shifted from one county to another in search of cricket at the highest level. Godleman was offered his first domestic contract with Middlesex at the age of 17, and he became the youngest player to feature in the county’s first eleven.

Born in Camden, Godleman went on to represent England at the U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels.

He made a name for himself with a stunning 149 in a U-19 game against Pakistan. The 2007/08 domestic season was Godleman’s breakout season, scoring 842 runs at an average of 38.27, including his maiden ton against Somerset.

In 2009, he moved to Essex and it turned out to be a disappointing outing for him as he struggled for form throughout the season and had off-field issues as well. As a result, Essex let him go in 2012.

He moved to Derbyshire for the 2013 season and just like his stint with Essex, Godleman’s confidence was down and his inability to score big after getting good starts frustrated then-coach Dave Houghton.

2015 was a fruitful season for him as the left-hander scored 1,000 runs for the first time in his domestic career at an average of 44.54. 

In 2016, he was named the new captain of Derbyshire after Wayne Madsen stepped down from the position.

Godleman had all the talent in the world to be a successful cricketer for England, but luck and poor form at crucial junctures resulted in Godleman being ignored by the selectors all his life.

(As of May 2021)