David Griffiths (cricketer)

Griffiths was born at Newport on the Isle of Wight in September 1985. He was born into a sporting family, with his Welsh father, Adrian, playing cricket for Wales Minor Counties. He was educated on the Isle of Wight at Sandown High School. Griffiths signed his first professional contract with Hampshire in 2004, alongside Jono McLean. He spent much of the 2005 season injured, before making his debut for Hampshire in a first-class match against Loughborough UCCE. In doing so, he became the first cricketer from the Isle of Wight to represent Hampshire since William Scott, some 78-years previously. It was not until the 2008 season that he made his debut in List A one-day cricket, against Gloucestershire in Friends Provident Trophy. During much of Griffiths' time with Hampshire, he was beset with a number of injuries. These led to Hampshire releasing him at the end of the 2013 season. In total, he played 36 first-class, with best figures of 6 for 85 against Nottinghamshire in 2011. with a one-day bowling performance of note coming in the final of the 2012 Clydesdale Bank 40, when his dismissal of Ian Bell on 81 turned the match in Hampshire's favour. ==Move to Kent and post-retirement==

In September 2013, he signed for Kent, making his debut for the county in a first-class match against Loughborough MCCU (formerly UCCE) at Canterbury in 2014. Injuries restricted him to bowling only 63 overs during the 2014 season and limited him to only two Twenty20 appearances in 2015, before his season was cut short by triceps and back injuries which required surgery. He returned to playing in 2016 following successful surgery on his back, and was mostly utilised by Kent as a "death bowler" in Twenty20 matches. He played two first-class and nine one-day matches for Kent, Griffiths left Kent at the end of the 2016 season, following the expiration of his contract. Following his retirement, he played club cricket and coached for Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club in the Southern Premier League, taking 86 wickets for them. He then emigrated to South Africa, where he took up a coaching role at Hilton College. In 2019, he donated a kidney to his sister, who lived in Australia. ==References==