Born on 6 October 1978, in Wardle, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Schofield first came to prominence playing for the England Under-19 team, making his debut for them (as a batsman) at the age of 16 in April 1995.

However, his career proper began in 1997, when he appeared on a number of further occasions for the Under-19s, and the following winter played for England in the Under-19s World Cup in South Africa which the team won.

1999 saw Schofield become an important member of the Lancashire side, and he played ten first-class games that season, finishing with 29 wickets at 32.79 including his first five-wicket haul: 5–66 against Durham.

This, though, was as nothing when set against his miserable 2004: a career-best knock of 99 against Warwickshire could not hide the fact that he was selected for only three County Championship matches, in which he took precisely one wicket in total; and though he played ten one-day games these were almost entirely as a batsman: he bowled only 36 List A balls in 2004.

Meanwhile, Schofield returned to play in club cricket, for Cheshire and Suffolk in the Minor Counties Championship, as well as having several games for the Durham, Sussex and Derbyshire second teams.