Jamie Hart was a promising all-rounder who played just three times for Nottinghamshire, before his career was cut short by a serious hamstring injury.
Jamie was born into a footballing family. His grandfather, Johnny Hart, played for Manchester City in the 1940s and 50s and subsequently managed the Club. His father, Paul Hart, was also a top footballer and Jamie was born in Blackpool on 31 December 1975, during his father’s stint with the Tangerines. The family moved to Nottingham when Paul joined Nottingham Forest and began a long association with the City with spells as player, academy director and manager at the City’s two football clubs.
Jamie grew up in East Bridgford and, urged by his father to take up cricket rather than football, was fortunate to have former Notts off-spinner Bob White as a neighbour to encourage his cricket development. As a junior player at Caythorpe, he was part of the Club’s side that was runner-up in the National Under-13 Club Championship.
Primarily a right arm pace bowler, Hart was also capable of scoring useful runs down the order. As a nineteen-year old in 1995, he played for Notts Colts, had nine starts with the County Second eleven and was called up for his full Nottinghamshire debut in the 40-over AXA Equity and Law League. In his first match, against Somerset at Trent Bridge, he opened the bowling with Bobby Chapman, the son of Sammy Chapman, another popular footballer with both Nottingham clubs. Hart stayed in the side for the following Sunday League match, against Sussex at Arundel. He contributed a single wicket in his two outings but was not required to bat in either game.
The following year, Hart made his one and only Championship appearance, starting against Yorkshire at Scarborough. He scored 18 runs but went wicketless as Notts slumped to an innings defeat.
Hart sustained a serious hamstring injury in the build-up to the 1997 season and did not play at all that year. He returned for the Seconds in 1998, and during the first part of 1999, but never fully recovered from his injury and decided to retire from professional cricket. He went out on a high in his final appearance in a Notts shirt – playing for the Second XI against Surrey Seconds in June, he made 104 and shared a ninth wicket partnership of 142 with Stephen Randall.
After cricket, Hart became a football agent and represented several high-profile players. His father Paul was involved in youth football coaching in his time with both the Nottingham Forest and Notts County Academies and Jamie followed a similar route in cricket. He joined Nottinghamshire’s youth coaching set-up in 2018, becoming coach for Notts Under-17s. Along with Darren Bicknell, Bilal Shafayat, Jimmy Hindson and David Lucas, he formed a team of former pros appointed as age-group coaches providing guidance to the County’s next generation of players.
May 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 580