Mal Loye

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Malachy Bernard Loye, most commonly known as Mal Loye, (born 27 September 1972, Northampton), is an English cricketer who has played first class cricket for Northamptonshire, Lancashire, and England A. Loye is a right-handed batsman and off break bowler.

After making his debut in 1991, Loye received the Northamptonshire cap in 1994, and passed 1,000 runs in a season for the first time in 1996. In 1998 when he made almost 1,200 first-class runs including the county's individual scoring record of 322 not out against Glamorgan. In the same game he shared a stand of 401 with David Ripley which beat the record of the highest fifth-wicket stand in England. He ended up with four hundreds that year, a new seasonal best, and was named PCA Player of the Year to follow on from his 1993 award of PCA Young Player of the Year. After a couple of lean years where he made less than 600 runs, Loye has averaged above 48 in every season save 2002, and scored more than 900 runs a season. Now he has over 10,000 first class runs to his name and has represented both England U19 and England A.

Loye transferred to Lancashire in 2003. He was an ever-present during Lancashire's march to the County Championship Division Two title in 2005 and was the county's leading run-scorer with 1,198, including a knock of 200 against Durham. He almost became the first Lancashire batsman ever to score consecutive double centuries but was dismissed for 194 in the next match against Essex. Loye also made a century in the Twenty20 Cup for the first time when he hammered exactly 100 against Durham, including five sixes and 10 fours. Loye has since been a mainstay in the Lancashire top-order and his recent good form has provided him with a call-up to Englands One-day International 30-man preliminary squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in India.

On 4 October 2006 he was called up to the England squad for the Hong Kong Sixes event in November. Loye will act as a wicket keeper for the England team lead by Dominic Cork during the tournament.