Wayne Ritzema

Wayne Ritzema (born 29 December 1975) is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler who played in List A cricket for Northumberland. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Career

Ritzema's cricketing career started in 1994, playing for Durham Under-19s, later playing for Durham's Second XI. Later playing for Essex and Worcestershire, Ritzema left Second XI cricket in 2000 and joined Northumberland, for whom he had previously played Minor Counties cricket during the 1999 season.

Ritzema's only List A appearance came during the C&G Trophy in August 2003, against Shropshire. Batting in the opening order, Ritzema scored 6 runs in a curtailed match lost by Northumberland.

Ritzema played league cricket for Newcastle between 2000 and 2004, Chester-Le-Street from 2005-2009 and since 2010 has played for Ponteland.

Ritzema has developed his reputation as a power hitter, and regularly clears the ropes, this is attributed to his immense core strength, he has also had shoulder problems due to carrying the rest of his current top order

His off break bowling has improved immensely since during a skill clinic with Ian Smart he managed to develop the "Off Spinner", however, his stock ball remains the flatter quicker one into the pads

Ritzema is known to have particular skill in talking a batsman out, usually by talking them to sleep. And he is widely recognised as the inventor of the now common strategy of keeping all bowlers in the team 'loose' and'warm' to bowl, although most of them will never do so.

Ritzema has a serious allergy to nuts.