James Ralph (cricketer)

James Trevor Ralph (born 9 October 1975) is an English cricketer who played one first-class match for Worcestershire and later played minor counties cricket for Shropshire. He was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

As well as playing club cricket for Kidderminster,[1] Ralph played many times for Worcestershire's Second XI between 1994 and 1996, and a run of good scores in the latter year earned him what turned out to be his only first-class appearance, against South Africa A in August. He failed to grasp the opportunity, however, being dismissed for a pair, and his brief first-class career ended almost as soon as it had begun.

In 1998 Ralph returned to representative cricket with Shropshire in the Minor Counties Championship, and made a number of List A appearances for them in the NatWest Trophy and its successor the C&G Trophy. Perhaps his best performance came against Somerset at Telford in 2000: although Shropshire lost the game by 27 runs, Ralph's unbeaten 102 gained him the man-of-the-match award. He took his only two List A wickets against Buckinghamshire in 2002.

In club cricket, after playing for some years for Shropshire clubs, and most recently for Shifnal, he returned to Kidderminster Victoria for the 2009 season.[1]

In 2012 Ralph moved to Bridgnorth CC in Division three of the Birmingham League, where he was consistently one of the best batsman in the Division. He helped them to a double promotion to Division One but has since left returning to a Shropshire League side.

Ralph ended his minor counties career in 2017 having represented Shropshire in over 100 championship games he is one of 12 players ever to do so.