| Mike Atherton | ||||
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 England |
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| Personal information | ||||
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| Full name | Michael Andrew Atherton | |||
| Nickname | Athers, Cockroach, Dread, FEC | |||
| Born | 23 March 1968 | |||
| Failsworth, Lancashire, England | ||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1. The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Failsworth is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 83 m) | |||
| Role | Batsman | |||
| Batting style | Right-handed | |||
| Bowling style | Right arm leg spin | |||
| International information | ||||
| Test debut (cap 538) | August 10, 1989: v Australia | |||
| Last Test | August 27, 2001: v Australia | |||
| ODI debut (cap 108) | July 18, 1990: v India | |||
| Last ODI | August 20, 1998: v Sri Lanka | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 1987-1989 | Cambridge University | |||
| 1987-2001 | Lancashire | |||
| 1987-1990 | MCC | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Tests | ODIs | FC | LA | |
| Matches | 115 | 54 | 336 | 287 |
| Runs scored | 7728 | 1791 | 21929 | 9343 |
| Batting average | 37. Mike Powell cricketerjpg|thumb|200px| Warwickshire batsman Mike Powell]] A batsman in the sport of Cricket is depending on context Any Leg spin is a style of Spin bowling in Cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a Wrist spin action causing the ball to spin anti-clockwise at the point This is a list of English Test cricketers. A Test match is an international Cricket match between two of the leading cricketing nations Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. This is a list of English One-day International cricketers. A One Day International, or an ODI is an international Cricket match between two representative teams Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Indian cricket team is an international Cricket team representing India. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Sri Lankan cricket team is a national Cricket team representing Sri Lanka. Cambridge University Cricket Club is a First-class cricket team Lancashire County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC is a private members' club founded in 1787 Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations Note Most of the information here pertains to men's cricket ODI matches are also played in Women's cricket. First-class cricket refers to the class of Cricket matches of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players and officially adjudged first-class by List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day form of the Sport of Cricket. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 69 | 35. 11 | 40. 83 | 36. 49 |
| 100s/50s | 16/46 | 2/12 | 54/107 | 14/59 |
| Top score | 185* | 127 | 268* | 127 |
| Balls bowled | 408 | 0 | 8981 | 287 |
| Wickets | 2 | - | 108 | 24 |
| Bowling average | 151. A delivery or ball in Cricket is a single action of Bowling a Cricket ball towards the Batsman. In the sport of Cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings Meanings of wicket Set of stumps Primarily the wicket Bowling average is a Statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the Sport of Cricket. 00 | - | 43. 82 | 29. 62 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 0 | - | 3 | 0 |
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | n/a | 0 | n/a |
| Best bowling | 1/20 | - | 6/78 | 4/42 |
| Catches/stumpings | 83/- | 15/- | 268/- | 111/- |
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As of September 1, 2007 |
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Michael Andrew Atherton, OBE (born March 23, 1968, in Failsworth, Lancashire, England) is a broadcaster, journalist and retired cricketer. An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during For other uses see Stump (disambiguation Stump is a term used in the Sport of Cricket where has three different meanings Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Failsworth is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries He captained England in a record 54 Test matches. The England cricket team is the national cricket team which represents England and Wales. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations [1]
Contents |
Cricketing career
The young Mike Atherton captained the Manchester Grammar School cricket team. The Manchester Grammar School ( MGS) is an independent boys' school (ages 9-18 in Fallowfield, Manchester, England. His performances led to selection for the England under-19 team, which he captained aged 16. Entering Downing College, Cambridge to read history, he was selected at 18 to play for Cambridge University Cricket Club and awarded a blue. Downing College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Cambridge University Cricket Club is a First-class cricket team A University Sporting Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and sportswomen at Cambridge, Oxford, and some other universities for competing at the highest level of A year later he made his county debut for Lancashire County Cricket Club. Lancashire County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic During this time he represented both his University, the British Universities cricket team (which he captained to the quarter finals of the Benson & Hedges cup in 1989) and his county. The British Universities cricket team is a Cricket team whose players are drawn from University sides primarily but not exclusively those of Oxford and This early rise through the ranks, and extensive leadership experience earned him the nickname "FEC". It stood for Future England Captain.
His heady rise continued when he made his debut for England in the fifth test against Australia at Trent Bridge, where he scored 0 and 47 [2]. The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County Cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, Atherton's chance came when several England players had just announced their decision of go on a rebel tour to South Africa and so were banned from the test team. See also International cricket in South Africa (1971 to 1981 The South African rebel tours were a series of cricket tours staged during the 1980s when South However, despite these defections, he was not selected for the subsequent 1989-90 tour of the West Indies. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting
Atherton returned to the England side in the summer of 1990, partnering Graham Gooch at the top of the order, and giving the first demonstration of his abilities. Graham Alan Gooch, OBE (born July 23 1953) is a former Cricketer who captained Essex and England. Test centuries against New Zealand and India earned him the title of Young Cricketer of the Year. The New Zealand cricket team, also known as the Black Caps or BLACKCAPS, played their first Test in 1929-30 against England in Christchurch The Indian cricket team is an international Cricket team representing India.
During the winter of 1990-91, Atherton faced a sterner test on The Ashes tour of Australia. The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Although he made a century in the third Test at Sydney, he averaged just 31 for his 279 runs, and England lost 3-0. The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG is a sports Stadium in Sydney.
In 1991 came the first signs of a degenerative back condition, Ankylosing Spondylitis, which was to dog Atherton for the remainder of his playing career and cause his premature retirement. Ankylosing spondylitis ( AS; previously known as Bechterew's disease, Bechterew syndrome, Marie Strümpell disease and a form of Spondyloarthritis The problem caused him to miss England's winter tour to New Zealand and forced him to stop bowling his sometimes effective leg-spin. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Now an irregular member of the England team, Atherton toured India and Sri Lanka in 1992-93 without significant success. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island
When Australia arrived for the 1993 Ashes series, Atherton's place in the team was not assured. The Australian cricket team toured England in 1993 aiming to retain The Ashes for a second consecutive occasion having successfully defended them on home turf in the However, a consistent summer in which he scored six 50s in six tests (including 99 at Lord's) cemented his place in the side at a fortunate time. Lord's Cricket Ground (generally known as Lord's) is a cricket Graham Gooch, frustrated by continual losses to Australia, resigned as captain after the fourth test and Atherton, aged just 25, replaced him. He lost his first match in charge but England managed to beat Australia in a morale-boosting final Test: England had not beaten Australia in the previous 18 Test matches.
Atherton's first tour as captain, to the West Indies in the winter of 1993-94, was not a success, as England lost 3-1. This was a series of highs and lows: Brian Lara of the West Indies compiled a world record of 375 against them at Antigua; England was bowled out for 46 to lose the third Test (and with it the series) but then roared back at Bridgetown to win the 4th Test thanks to two centuries from Alec Stewart. Brian Charles Lara (born 2 May 1969 ( nicknamed, "The Prince of Port-of-Spain" "The Prince of Trinidad" or simply "The Prince" is a Antigua Recreation Ground is the National stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. Alec James Stewart OBE (born 8 April 1963 in Merton, Greater London) is a retired English Cricketer a right-handed Batsman - Wicketkeeper For his part, Atherton was the best of the English batsman with 510 runs at 56. 67.
Earning plaudits for his determination and leadership, Atherton followed up with two centuries in the first two tests at home against New Zealand. His reputation suffered a blow, however, when he was implicated in a ball-tampering controversy during the first test against South Africa at Lord's, for which he was fined £2000 by Ray Illingworth. In the sport of Cricket, ball tampering is an action in which a fielder illegally alters the condition of the ball. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Raymond ("Ray" Illingworth (born 8 June 1932 in Pudsey) is a former English Cricketer, Cricket commentator and cricket administrator Atherton was accused of lying to Peter Burge, the match referee. For the rugby footballer of the same name see Peter Burge (rugby Peter John Parnell Burge (born May 17, 1932 in Atherton claimed in his autobiography that he answered 'no' when asked if he had anything in his pockets. He believed that Burge was referring to nefarious substances such as resin or lip salve, etc. Nevertheless, the TV pictures were damning, showing Atherton very deliberately putting dirt, taken from the pitch, on the ball. Strictly speaking, Atherton was not breaking the rules - he pointed out himself that plenty of bowlers improve their grip on the ball by rubbing their hands on the pitch.
After this incident Atherton and England headed to Headingley for the second test. Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. Atherton played one of his best innings, grinding out 99, before being caught and bowled by Brian McMillan. Brian Mervin McMillan (born 22 December 1963 in Welkom and grew up in Carletonville, South Africa) played 38 Tests and Atherton said that his innings was the best answer he could have given to the 'gutter press'. He led England to a win in the third test at The Oval, thus tying the series, but failed a score a century. The Oval PavilionJPG|250px|right|thumb|The Members Pavilion]] The Oval is an international Cricket ground in Kennington, London
After winning over South Africa, Atherton faced the supreme test of his leadership: an Ashes tour of Australia. His form stood well with 407 runs at 40. 7, but he was unable to convert any of his five half-centuries into a hundred. Although England had a thrilling win at Adelaide, the team stumbled to a 1-3 loss. The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia.
The next two years followed a similar pattern, England appearing to improve with success against lower rated sides such as India and New Zealand, but struggling against the talent of Australia and Pakistan. The Pakistan National Cricket Team is an international Cricket team representing Pakistan. The lack of true progress and the continuing effects of his back ailment contributed to Atherton's decision to resign after five years as captain.
However, Atherton continued to play test cricket for a further 4 years and finally retired at the end of the 2001 Ashes. The 2001 Cricket series between England and Australia for The Ashes was played in England from 5 July to Dogged by his chronic back condition, his batting never again reached earlier levels.
Some teammates say that Atherton put up his finest performances when he was "against the wall", like his monumental 185* in 643 minutes against South Africa [3][4], and the onslaught from Allan Donald in 1998 [5][6] and that this prompted Steve Waugh to dub him "The Cockroach" (being very hard to stamp out)[7]. Allan Anthony Donald, (born 20 October 1966 in Bloemfontein) was a South African Cricketer and one of their most successful pace bowlers ever Stephen Rodger Waugh, AO (born 2 June 1965 in Canterbury New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of Mark Waugh However, the fact that Atherton was dismissed 19 times by Glenn McGrath, the Australian opening bowler (a record for any bowler against one batsman [8]) suggests that this was a side of Atherton that Waugh seldom saw first-hand. Glenn Donald McGrath AM (pronounced) (born 9 February 1970 in Dubbo New South Wales) nicknamed "Pigeon" is a former Australian cricket player Atherton's record against Australia is modest; he averaged under thirty, with only one century in 33 tests [9].
Atherton has the dubious honour of having the lowest batting average of any player to have scored 6000 or more runs in Test cricket.
Post-playing career
Since his retirement from the game, Atherton has worked in the media. He was a journalist for The Sunday Telegraph and succeeded Christopher Martin-Jenkins as The Times cricket correspondent on 1 May 2008. The Sunday Telegraph is a British Broadsheet newspaper, founded in 1961 The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. [10]
Between 2002 and 2005, he was a member of the Channel 4 commentary team for the coverage of Test cricket in England. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began During this period he also worked as a commentator for BBC Radio and Talksport on Test matches outside England. BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927 talkSPORT is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters offering a commercial sports and talk radio service from London Atherton joined the Sky Sports commentary team in 2005, after they won the rights to live Test cricket in England. He commentates on all forms of the game, home and abroad, as well as covering some domestic matches.
In 2002 he released an autobiography, Opening Up. He has also written Gambling: A Story of Triumph and Disaster, released in 2006.
References
- ^ Tests as captain
- ^ Test debut
- ^ England vs South Africa 1995/6 2nd Test Scorecard
- ^ England vs South Africa 1995/6 2nd Test Report
- ^ England vs South Africa 1998 4th Test Scorecard
- ^ England vs South Africa 1998 4th Test Report
- ^ Which Test cricketer was known as the "Cockroach", and why?
- ^ Batsmen Dismissed Most Times by Same Bowler
- ^ MA Atherton - Tests - Innings by innings list
- ^ Atherton moves to The Times, Cricinfo. com
External links
| Preceded by Graham Gooch |
English national cricket captain 1993 - 1998 |
Succeeded by Alec Stewart |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Atherton, Mike |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Atherton, Michael Andrew |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Cricketer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 23 March 1968 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Oldham, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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