Ashley Metcalfe was an attacking opening batsman who never quite fulfilled his early potential. He scored a hundred on his debut for Yorkshire in 1983, putting on 248 for the first wicket with Geoff Boycott, and he underlined his one-day credentials with a Sunday League century the following summer. In 1986 he scored 1803 runs, including six hundreds, being named the Young Player of the Year and coming close to being selected for that winter's Ashes tour. He continued to score well, forming a solid opening partnership with Martyn Moxon, his best year coming in the batsman-friendly summer of 1990 when he made 2047 and 51.17, including another six hundreds. In between, he was a key part of Yorkshire's 1987 B&H success, winning four Gold Awards as well as scoring more one-day runs in the summer than anyone else. But his form fell away steadily after 1990, and by 1992 he had lost his place in the side. He left Yorkshire for Nottinghamshire in 1995 after a benefit year which yielded £110,000, but fared little better at Trent Bridge and he retired at the end of 1997. He continued to play Minor County cricket for Cumberland.
Martin Williamson