James Foster (cricketer, born 1980)
An English wicket-keeper of breathtaking agility whose international career was overshadowed by the era's greatest gloveman, Alec Stewart.
Born 1980 (age 46)·English cricketer and cricket coach·Birthday: April 15·Generation X
Biography
James Foster possessed a talent so pure and specialized it became a kind of curse: he was arguably the finest wicket-keeper of his generation in England, yet his batting never quite convinced the selectors to make him a permanent fixture. Bursting onto the scene with Essex, his glovework was a thing of beauty—fast, silent, and daring, particularly standing up to the stumps for medium-pacers. A Test debut against India in 2001 showcased his brilliance, but he arrived in an era where the established keeper was the veteran batsman Alec Stewart. Foster's seven Tests were sporadic, his opportunities limited despite flashes of gritty lower-order resistance. He settled into a long, distinguished county career with Essex, becoming a captain and a revered figure, his keeping setting a standard that inspired a wave of younger players. His story is one of supreme skill in a single discipline, forever measured against the broader demands of the modern game.
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.
James was born in 1980, 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 James Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
James's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 7 Test matches for England, taking 17 dismissals (15 catches, 2 stumpings) with his exceptional wicket-keeping.
- Captained Essex County Cricket Club to victory in the 2008 Friends Provident Trophy (50-over competition).
- Enjoyed a prolific county career spanning nearly two decades, making over 650 dismissals for Essex across all formats.
Did You Know?
He was the first wicket-keeper to score a century in a Twenty20 Cup match, doing so for Essex in 2006.
He once took 11 catches in a single first-class match for Essex against Leicestershire in 2004.
After retiring, he became a highly regarded wicket-keeping coach, working with England's national teams.
He attended the same school (Chigwell School) as former England captain and fellow wicket-keeper Alastair Cook.
“The stumps are my territory; I guard them with everything.”
