1996 English cricket season

The 1996 English cricket season was the 97th in which the County Championship had been an official competition. England hosted tours by India and Pakistan, who each played three Tests and three ODIs. Against India, England were unbeaten, winning the Test series 1–0 and the ODI series 2–0. However, against the Pakistanis England lost 2–0 in the Tests, and had to console themselves with a 2–1 ODI series victory.^{[1] [2]}

In Hampshire's game against the Indians just before the third Test, Hampshire's Kevan James took four wickets in consecutive balls and then scored a century. This was the first time this particular "double" had ever been achieved in a first-class match.

The County Championship was won by Leicestershire for the second time (after 1975), and they celebrated their already certain title by defeating Middlesex by an innings on the last day of the season. Leicestershire finished 27 points in front of Derbyshire.^{[3] [4]}

In one-day cricket, the AXA Equity and Law League was won by Surrey on run rate from Nottinghamshire, while Lancashire claimed the honours in both the NatWest Trophy and the Benson & Hedges Cup. The best bowling figures of the season were claimed by Glen Chapple of Lancashire who took 6–18 in the NatWest Trophy final against Essex, in which the southern county were bowled out for an embarrassing 57.

Vince Wells' score of 201 in an earlier round of the NatWest Trophy was at the time only the fourth List A double century to have been scored.

• County Championship – Leicestershire
• NatWest Trophy – Lancashire
• Sunday League – Surrey
• Benson & Hedges Cup – Lancashire
• Minor Counties Championship – Devon
• MCCA Knockout Trophy – Cheshire
• Second XI Championship – Warwickshire II
• Wisden – Sanath Jayasuriya, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saeed Anwar, Phil Simmons, Sachin Tendulkar

First-class

• Highest team total: 686 by Lancashire v Essex at Chelmsford, 7–10 June
• Lowest team total: 67 by Durham v Middlesex at Cardiff, 14 June
• Highest individual innings: 275* by Matthew Walker (Kent) v Somerset at Canterbury, 15–16 August
• Most runs in season: 1,944 by Graham Gooch (Essex)
• Best innings bowling: 9–38 by Cardigan Connor (Hampshire) v Gloucestershire at Southampton, 8–9 August
• Most wickets in season: 85 by Courtney Walsh (Gloucestershire)

List A

• Highest team total: 406/5 (60 overs) by Leicestershire v Berkshire at Leicester, 25 June
• Lowest team total: 48 by Leicestershire v Surrey at The Oval, 16 June
• Highest individual innings: 201 by Vince Wells (Leicestershire) v Berkshire at Leicester, 25 June
• Most runs in season: 1,151 by Dean Jones (Derbyshire)
• Best innings bowling: 6–18 by Glen Chapple (Lancashire) v Essex at Lord's, 7 September
• Most wickets in season: 56 by Adam Hollioake (Surrey)

Batting Qualification: eight innings

Bowling Qualification: ten wickets

Batting Qualification: eight innings

Bowling Qualification: ten wickets

• CricketArchive – season and tournament itineraries

• Playfair Cricket Annual 1997
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1997