Mike Atherton England (Eng)
Batting style	Right hand bat
Bowling type	Right arm leg break
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	115	54
Runs scored	7728	1791
Batting average	37.69	35.11
100s/50s	16/46	2/12
Top score	185*	127
Overs bowled	68	0
Wickets	2	0
Bowling average	151.0	-
5 wickets in innings	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a
Best bowling	1/20	-
Catches/stumpings	83/0	15/0
As of 27 August 2001 Source: Cricinfo.com Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... The logo of the England Cricket Team which shows the three Lions of England below a five-pointed crown The England cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales, operating under the auspices of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Warwickshire batsman Mike Powell A batsman in the sport of cricket is, depending on context: Any player in the act of batting. ... In the sport of cricket there are two broad categories of bowlers: pace bowlers and spin bowlers. ... Animation of a leg break. ... A Test match in progress. ... One-day International (ODI) is a form of cricket, which is played over 50 overs per side between two national cricket teams. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. ... M*A*S*H, see Sticky Wicket (M*A*S*H episode). ... Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket. ... An innings, or inning, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. ... In the sport of cricket, the term stump has three different meanings: 1. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Michael Andrew Atherton, OBE (born March 23, 1968, in Failsworth, near Oldham, in Lancashire) is a broadcaster, journalist and retired cricket player. He captained England in a record 54 Test matches. [1] The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Failsworth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Bowler Shaun Pollock bowls to batsman Michael Hussey. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... A Test match in progress. ...

Cricketing career

The young Mike Atherton captained the Manchester Grammar School cricket team. 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. A year later he made his county debut for Lancashire. During this time he represented both his University (which he captained to the quarter finals of the Benson & Hedges cup in 1989) and his county. This early rise through the ranks, and extensive leadership experience earned him the nickname "FEC" (future England Captain). These initials were carved onto his locker door, and are rumoured to stand for 'Fucking Educated Cunt', not 'Future England Captain'. Atherton views this as just banter, and never appears overly concerned at it. The Manchester Grammar School (MGS) is an independent boys school (ages 11-18) in Fallowfield, Manchester, England. ... Full name Downing College Motto Quaerere Verum Seek the truth Named after Sir George Downing Previous names - Established 1800 Sister College(s) Lincoln College Master Prof. ... Cambridge University Cricket Club (now subsumed into the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence) is a first-class cricket team. ... A Blue is earned by sportsmen at Cambridge University in one of thirteen designated sports (e. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

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 ^[1]. 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. However, despite these defections, he was not selected for the subsequent 1989-90 tour of the West Indies. For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... During the isolation of South Africa from international cricket during the apartheid regime from 1970 to 1991, a number of government sponsored international cricket tours were organised (see International cricket in South Africa (1971 to 1981)). In the 1980s, these tours were known as the South African rebel tours and... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ...

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. Test centuries against New Zealand and India earned him the title of Young Cricketer of the Year.

During the winter of 1990-91, Atherton faced a sterner test on the Ashes tour of Australia. Although he made a century in the third Test at Sydney, he averaged just 31 for his 279 runs, and England lost 3-0.

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. The problem caused him to miss England's winter tour to New Zealand and forced him to stop bowling his sometimes effective leg-spin. Now an irregular member of the England team, Atherton toured India and Sri Lanka in 1992-93 without significant success. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

When Australia arrived for the 1993 Ashes series, Atherton's place in the team was not assured. 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. 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. Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The Ashes is a Test cricket series, played between England and Australia - it is international crickets most celebrated rivalry and dates back to 1882. ...

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. For his part, Atherton was the best of the English batsman with 510 runs at 56.67. The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... The City of Bridgetown, population 5,928 (1990) metropolitan area 110,000 (2000), formerly the Town of Saint Michael, is the Capital city of the island nation of Barbados. ... Alec James Stewart OBE (born 8 April 1963 in Merton, Surrey) is a retired English cricketer, a right-handed batsman-wicketkeeper and former captain of the English cricket team. ...

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. Atherton was accused of lying to Peter Burge, the match referee. 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. A sample cricket ball. ... The Pavilion The Grand Stand Match in progress The Media Centre at Lords Cricket Ground This memorial stone to Lord Harris is in the Harris Garden at Lords Lords Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in St Johns Wood in London, at grid reference TQ268827. ... Raymond (Ray) Illingworth (born 8 June 1932) is a former English cricketer, cricket commentator and cricket administrator. ... Peter John Parnell Burge (1932-2001) was an Australian cricketer who played in 42 Tests between 1955 and 1966. ...

After this incident Atherton and England headed to Headingley for the second test. Atherton played one of his best innings, grinding out 99, before being caught and bowled by Brian McMillan. 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. Hyde Park Corner, Leeds Headingley is a suburb of the English city of Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire. ... Brian Mervin McMillan (b. ...

Mike Atherton's career performance graph.

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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (963x492, 6 KB) Summary This graph details the Test Match performance of Mike Atherton. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (963x492, 6 KB) Summary This graph details the Test Match performance of Mike Atherton. ...

The next two years followed a similar pattern, England appearing to improve with some success against lower rated sides such as India (away from home), New Zealand, and Zimbabwe, but struggling against the talent of Australia and 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. Dogged by his chronic back condition, his batting never again reached earlier levels.

Some teammates say^{[citation needed]} that Atherton's finest hours occurred when he was "against the wall", like his monumental 185* in 643 minutes against South Africa [2][3], and the onslaught from Allan Donald in 1998 [4][5] and that this was the reason for his nickname of "The Cockroach" (he is very hard to stamp out) coined by Stephen Waugh [6]. However, the fact that Atherton was dismissed 19 times by Glenn McGrath, the Australian opening bowler (a record for any bowler against one batsman [7]) suggests that this was a side of Atherton that Waugh seldom saw first-hand. In fact, Atherton's record against Australia is modest; he averages under thirty, with only one century in 33 tests [8]. Allan Anthony Donald, (born October 20, 1966, Bloemfontein) was one of South Africas best ever cricketers, specifically one of their finest bowlers. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ...

Atherton has the dubious honour of having the lowest batting average of any player to have scored 6000 or more runs in Test cricket. He also holds the record for the most times dismissed by the same bowler in Test cricket, having been dismissed 19 times in 17 matches by Glenn McGrath between 1994 and 2001. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Retirement

Since his retirement from the game, Atherton has become a journalist for The Sunday Telegraph newspaper and a commentator on English Test cricket. Between 2002 and 2005, he was a member of the commentary team for the coverage of cricket produced by Channel 4 in England and he has also been a commentator for BBC Radio and Talksport on Test matches outside England. Following the loss of live Test cricket to Sky Sports, Atherton was signed up by the channel to join their team. This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... It has been suggested that Channel Four Television Corporation be merged into this article or section. ... 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 the only dedicated national commercial sports and talk radio station, based in London, broadcasting to the United Kingdom providing sports talk, live commentaries, phone-in discussion and talk shows. ... Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of 9 channels. ...

External link

• Player Profile: Mike Atherton from Cricinfo