A left-arm seamer and right-hand batsman, allrounder Graham Wagg represented England at Under-16 and Under-19 levels before making his first-class debut for Warwickshire in 2002. Aged 19, he took four wickets and hit a quick half-century against Somerset at Edgbaston. He finished that season at the top of the county's Championship bowling averages (12 wickets at 21.58). He was included in England's Academy squad in 2002-03 but withdrew with a back problem, and that has seriously limited his appearances since. In 2003 he made just one Championship outing, and in 2004 he was limited to a handful of one-day games, and even then managed only a few unimpressive overs. In October 2004, he was banned for a year and his contract with Warwickshire terminated when he admitted using cocaine after failing a random ECB drugs test. He spent the year coaching, and resumed his career with Derbyshire. His comeback season was solid if unspectacular as he played in just over half of the county's Championship games. He fared better in 2007 passing 50 wickets for the first time and also scoring four half-centuries which was enough to earn him a new two-year contract at the club. His all-round progress continued in 2008 when he took 59 first-class wickets and scored a century and two fifties.
Martin Williamson October 2008

NBC Denis Compton Award 2003

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Jul 17, 2008 Graham Wagg stands tall to cut during his maiden first-class hundred © Getty Images

May 22, 2008 Graham Wagg celebrates, as did the rest of his team on beating Lancashire © Getty Images

Sep 24, 2004 Graham Wagg © Getty Images

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