▁the ▁Lanc ash ire ▁Second ▁XI ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 , ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁He ▁made ▁his ▁first - class ▁Lanc ash ire ▁debut ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁having ▁previously ▁made ▁his ▁list ▁A ▁debut ▁for ▁the ▁Lanc ash ire ▁Cr icket ▁Board ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁winter s ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 5 – 0 6 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 6 – 0 7 ▁playing ▁club ▁cr icket ▁in ▁Australia . ▁ ▁Cro ft ▁finished ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁season ▁with ▁ 5 8 5 ▁first - class ▁runs ▁in ▁th ir teen ▁matches , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁ 3 2 . 5 0 . ▁He ▁hit ▁one ▁century , ▁his ▁ma iden ▁hundred ▁a ▁ 1 2 2 ▁against ▁Not ting ham shire ▁and ▁three ▁f ift ies . ▁In ▁one - day ▁matches , ▁he ▁hit ▁ 2 7 9 ▁runs ▁from ▁th ir teen ▁matches , ▁aver aging ▁ 3 1 . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁club ' s ▁leading ▁w icket - t aker ▁with ▁four teen , ▁at ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁ 2 1 . 7 1 . ▁In ▁Tw enty 2 0 ▁matches ▁he ▁hit ▁ 1 3 4 ▁runs ▁from ▁eleven ▁matches ▁and ▁took ▁six ▁w ick ets . ▁He ▁also ▁won ▁the ▁Player ▁of ▁the ▁Month ▁award ▁for ▁August . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Cro ft ▁won ▁two ▁awards