James Cornford (cricketer, born 1978)

James Michael Cornford (born 6 September 1978) is an English former first-class cricketer.

The son of an antiques restorer, Cornford was born at Crewe.[1] After completing his secondary education, Cornford attended Reaseheath College where he studied golf course and green management.[1] Having found himself unemployed six months after leaving Reaseheath College, Cornford took a loan of £3,000 from The Prince's Trust to start up his own cricket bat making business, which by 2000 counted Keith Semple and Muazam Ali as clients.[1]

He made his debut in minor counties cricket for Cheshire in the 1999 Minor Counties Championship against Devon.[2] He made five appearances in 1999 and nine in 2000.[2] Cornford also made six appearances for Cheshire in the 2000 MCCA Knockout Trophy, and one appearance in the 2001 MCCA Knockout Trophy.[3] He travelled to Zimbabwe in March 2002 to play for the Midlands cricket team, with Cornford making his debut in first-class cricket in the 2001–02 Logan Cup against Matabeleland.[4] He made four further appearances during the competition,[4] ending as Midlands leading run-scorer for the season with 314 runs.[5][6] Returning to England, Cornford played one match for the Worcestershire Cricket Board in the 2002 MCCA Knockout Trophy,[3] before returning to Zimbabwe to play List A one-day cricket for Midlands in the 2002–03 Faithwear Inter-Provincial One-Day Series, making two appearances against Matabeleland and Mashonaland.[7]

By 2009, his cricket equipment business was supplying the England cricket team and the Australia national cricket team with training aids.[8]