Background
James grew up playing club cricket at Corley Central Committee and established himself as a hard hitting fast bowling all rounder creating batting as well as bowling records.
James grew up playing club cricket at Corley Central Committee and established himself as a hard hitting fast bowling all rounder creating batting as well as bowling records.
He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler although he has also bowled off-spin in his second and final Test match against India in Mohali. Ormond made his first-class debut in 1995 for Leicestershire County Cricket Club and played a part in the successful championship seasons of 1996 and 1998. Ormond had several consistent seasons at Leicestershire which saw him get rewarded with representation for England at Under-19 level and places on England A tours of Kenya and Sri Lanka.
Ormond eventually made his full Test debut against Australia in 2001.
He was then picked for the tour of India where he played his second and final Test match. His two Test wickets were Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid, who both went on to score 12,000 Test runs.
He was ostensibly dropped for lack of form, though many suspected that new coach Duncan Fletcher"s obsession with fitness actually led to his being culled from the squad. He remained at the club until the end of the 2009 season when he was released.
Ormond was involved in a notable piece of sledging.
When, in a Test match against Australia in 2001, Mark Waugh asked him, "Mate, what are you doing out here? Ormond, "fond of a fag and a few beers after close of play", was criticised for being overweight while an England player.