Andrew Kennedy

A left-hand opener, Kennedy was well established in the Lancashire Leagues when he broke into the Lancashire side and in 1975, aged 25, he won the Young-Cricketer-of-the-Year award on the back of a good summer culminating in county's fifty in their Gillette Cup victory. But England were not short of opening batsmen, especially when Geoff Boycott returned from the wilderness in 1977, and in any case, Kennedy's form was erratic. In 1976 he struggled, almost a third of his runs coming in one innings of 176 not out, and in 1977 he lost his place after making 166 runs in seven games. He battled back but was never close to an England call-up and retired in 1982 after another wretched season.
Martin Williamson