Liverpool-born Ian Cockbain first picked up the game at Bootle cricket club, where his father, also called Ian, spent several seasons as captain after calling time on his first-class career after 47 games for Lancashire. Cockbain junior's talent took him from the Wadham Road outfield to the hallowed turf at Lord's, where he spent three seasons as an MCC Young Cricketer and was also called upon to perform 12th man duties during the 2009 Lord's Test. The family link extended there too - his father had been 12th man for England way back in 1979.

Cockbain played second XI cricket for Lancashire in 2008 before joining the MCC programme. He accumulated 749 runs in the second XI Championship in 2010 at an average of 44.20 and scored more than 700 runs in the second XI Trophy. Pleased with his progress, Gloucestershire signed him on a three-year professional contract in December 2010.

He has grown into a useful middle order player, earning a regular first-team place in 2011 and scored his maiden first-class century, 127, against Middlesex at Uxbridge.

He also made his mark in short-format cricket that season; in his second appearance in the Friends Life t20 competition smashed a superb 78 off 46 balls, with five sixes and six fours, to help Gloucestershire to a 46-run win over Surrey at Gloucester.
ESPNcricinfo staff