Andy Caddick
The towering Somerset seamer who became a linchpin of England's bowling attack, known for his sharp bounce and memorable spells.
Born 1968 (age 58)·English cricketer·Birthday: November 21·Generation X
Biography
Andy Caddick, with his imposing 6'5" frame and high action, was a fixture of English cricket for over a decade. Born in New Zealand, he qualified for England through his mother and chose to pursue his career there, becoming synonymous with Somerset County Cricket Club. His ability to extract disconcerting bounce from English pitches made him a persistent threat, particularly in tandem with Darren Gough during the late 1990s. Caddick's career was a mix of sublime match-winning performances and occasional struggles with consistency, but at his best, he was unplayable. He claimed 234 Test wickets, including 13 five-wicket hauls, with a career-best 7 for 46 against the West Indies in 2000 standing out. His loyalty to Somerset was absolute, spanning his entire first-class career in England, and he bowed out with a characteristic late-career flourish, taking his 1000th first-class wicket for the county.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andy was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Took 234 wickets in 62 Test matches for England, including 13 five-wicket hauls.
- Captured a career-best 7 for 46 in a Test innings against the West Indies at Lord's in 2000.
- Spent his entire English domestic first-class career with Somerset County Cricket Club, taking over 1,000 wickets for them.
- Was a key member of the England bowling attack that won the 2000-01 Test series in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Did You Know?
He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and represented New Zealand at youth level before switching to England.
He once took four wickets in five balls for Somerset against Northamptonshire in 1999.
After retirement, he had a brief comeback playing one Minor Counties match for Wiltshire in 2009.
He is a qualified pilot and enjoys flying in his spare time.
“I just tried to bowl fast and straight and get the ball in the right areas.”
