Chris Read
A nimble wicket-keeper whose sharp glovework and gritty batting made him a mainstay for Nottinghamshire and a respected figure in English cricket.
Born 1978 (age 48)·English cricketer·Birthday: August 10·Generation X
Biography
Chris Read's career is a story of specialist excellence and county loyalty. Emerging from Devon, he was marked early as a wicket-keeping prodigy, his neat technique and alertness behind the stumps catching the eye of national selectors. He made his England debut in 1999, part of a new generation meant to refresh the side. While his international opportunities were intermittent—often competing with rivals like Geraint Jones—Read's reputation was forged at Trent Bridge. As captain of Nottinghamshire, he led with a quiet, determined authority, guiding the county to the County Championship title in 2010. His batting, often underrated, was combative and clever; he frequently rescued his team from difficult positions in the lower middle order. After retiring, he moved seamlessly into coaching, applying his meticulous understanding of the game's finer points to nurture the next wave of players, leaving a legacy defined more by sustained county success than fleeting Test caps.
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.
Chris was born in 1978, 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 Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
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 40
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 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Captained Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title in the 2010 season.
- Represented England in 15 Test matches and 36 One Day Internationals.
- Scored over 10,000 first-class runs during his professional career, a significant feat for a wicket-keeper.
- Won the Professional Cricketers' Association Player of the Year award in 2007.
Did You Know?
He is a qualified ECB Level 4 coach, the highest coaching accreditation in English cricket.
Read was the first wicket-keeper to score a century in a Twenty20 Cup match in England.
He played club cricket in Perth, Australia, during the English off-season early in his career.
“My gloves are for catching, not for show.”
