Michael Andrew AthertonOBE (born 23 March 1968)[1] is a broadcaster,journalist and a former England international cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England,and occasional leg-break bowler,he achieved the captaincy of England at the age of 25 and led the side in a record 54 Test matches.[2] Known for his stubborn resistance during an era of hostile fast bowling,Atherton was described in 2001 as a determined defensive opener who made "batting look like trench warfare".[3] He had several famed bouts with bowlers including South Africa's Allan Donald[4] and Australia's Glenn McGrath.[5] Atherton often played the anchor role at a time when England batting performances lacked consistency.[3]
His playing career included controversy,including ball tampering,and several brushes with the media with whom,by Atherton's own admission,he did not have a good understanding when he was a player.[3] Often hampered by a chronic back complaint which was to contribute to the end of his career,Atherton was considered a leading England batsman during the 1990s. Following retirement he became a journalist and is a cricket commentator with Sky Sports,and chief cricket correspondent of The Times.
As a youth,he captained the Manchester Grammar School cricket team,for whom he scored almost 3,500 runs and took 170 wickets.[8] His performances led to selection for the England under-19 team,which he captained aged 16. He also represented Lancashire Schools from 1982 to 1986.[9] In 1983 he won the Jack Hobbs Memorial Award as the Outstanding Schoolboy Cricketer at under-15 level. In a (non-first-class) match against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1984 he took 6–27.[10]
Entering Downing College,Cambridge,to read History,he was selected at 18 to play for Cambridge University Cricket Club and awarded a blue.[11] A year later he made 73 on his county debut for Lancashire,scoring his maiden first-class hundred against Derbyshire a fortnight later.[12] During this time he represented his university,the Combined Universities cricket team (which he captained to the quarter finals of the Benson &Hedges Cup in 1989) and his county.[13] This early rise through the ranks,and extensive leadership experience earned him the nickname "FEC",which is thought to have stood for "future England captain". In his autobiography Opening Up,Atherton is candid about the fact that there are more colourful alternatives for "FEC";the second word being "educated";as suggested by his teammates at the time.[14]
International career
Atherton's heady rise continued when he made his debut for England in the fifth test of 1989 against Australia at Trent Bridge,where he scored 0 and 47.[15] Atherton's chance came when several England players announced their decision to go on a rebel tour to South Africa and so were banned from the Test team. Despite these defections,he was selected as vice-captain of the 1989–90 A-team tour to Zimbabwe rather than for the West Indies tour. He learned that he would make his debut when captain David Gower threw a plastic bag of England caps and sweaters at him.[16]
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 at international level. In his first innings after recall,and his first opening the batting for England,he scored 151 against New Zealand.[17] He shared an opening partnership of 204 with Gooch against India at Lord's,in the match famous for Gooch's scores of 333 and 123,[18] as well as further big opening partnerships in the next two Tests,[19] and 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,which would prove to be his only century in an Ashes Test,he averaged just 31 for his 279 runs,and England lost 3–0. Atherton struggled against the West Indies in 1991 and missed the 1992 Cricket World Cup and tour of New Zealand with fitness problems,but was recalled to the Test team in the summer of 1992.
When Australia arrived for the 1993 Ashes series,Atherton's place in the team was not assured. However,a consistent summer,during 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 against 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.[20]
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 375 against them at Antigua;England were bowled out for 46 to lose the third Test (and with it the series) but then roared back at Bridgetown to win the fourth Test thanks to two centuries from Alec Stewart. For his part,Atherton was the best of the English batsmen,scoring 510 runs at an average of 56.67.
Earning plaudits for his determination and leadership,Atherton followed up with two centuries in the three-match series at home against New Zealand. His reputation suffered a blow when he was implicated in a ball-tampering controversy during the first Test against South Africa at Lord's,for which he was fined £2,000 by Ray Illingworth. Atherton was accused of lying to Peter Burge,the match referee. Atherton claims 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. Nonetheless the TV pictures were damning,showing Atherton deliberately putting dirt,taken from the pitch,on the ball. Strictly speaking,Atherton was not breaking the laws –he pointed out that plenty of bowlers improve their grip on the ball by rubbing their hands on the pitch.[21]
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 stated that this 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,which tied the series,although he failed to score a century.
Mike Atherton's Test career performance graph
After winning against South Africa,Atherton faced the supreme test of his leadership:an Ashes tour to Australia. His form stood well,with 407 runs at 40.7,but he was unable to convert any of his four half-centuries in the Test series into a hundred. Although England had a thrilling win at Adelaide,England's first Test victory in Australia for eight years,the team stumbled to a 1–3 loss. There was also controversy in the drawn Sydney test when England's Graeme Hick was approaching what would have been his only Ashes Test hundred. According to Wisden:"In what was thought to be the last-but-one over of the innings,Hick,on 98,blocked three successive balls,and Atherton lost patience and ungenerously declared;he had batted far more slowly himself".[22]
The next two years followed a similar pattern. Although a draw in a Test series against the West Indies in 1995 and victory in Test series at home against India and away against New Zealand suggested that England were improving,the team continued to struggle against the talent of Australia and Pakistan. Although Atherton led England to victory in the first test of the 1997 Ashes at Birmingham,England's only victory in an Ashes Test that was not a dead rubber between 1986 and 2005,England lost the series 3-2. England also crashed out of the 1996 Cricket World Cup after defeat to eventual champions Sri Lanka,controversy also ensuing during this tournament after a defeat when Atherton's irritated observation about a local journalist was picked up on tape.[23] The lack of consistent progress and the effect of a back ailment contributed to Atherton's decision to resign after five years as captain after a defeat in the West Indies in 1997-8.
Atherton continued to play Test cricket for a further four years before retiring at the end of the 2001 Ashes. However,plagued by his chronic back condition,he did not manage to attain his previous levels of performance. Highlights of his later career however included man of the match-winning Test centuries at the Oval and Karachi in 2000,in Tests which ensured England rare Test series victories respectively against the West Indies (their first for 31 years),[24] and Pakistan (their first for 18 years).[25]
Atherton's finest performances came when he had his back against the wall. Notable examples include his monumental 185 not out in 643 minutes to salvage a draw against South Africa,[26][27] and his negation of an outstanding Allan Donald onslaught in 1998.[28][29] This doggedness prompted Steve Waugh to dub him "The Cockroach",[30] but his record against Australia was modest. He averaged under thirty,with only one century in 33 tests.[31] and he was dismissed 19 times by Glenn McGrath,the Australian opening bowler,a record for any bowler against one batsman.[32]
Alongside McGrath,two other world-class bowlers frequently tormented Atherton,with Courtney Walsh dismissing him seventeen times and Shane Warne ten times. As well as being seen as struggling against the very best,Atherton has the dubious honour of having the lowest batting average of any player to have scored 6,000 or more runs in Test cricket. He was also dismissed for nought on twenty occasions at Test level,which was an English record at the time of his retirement.[33]
International centuries
During his career Atherton made eighteen centuries in international cricket,sixteen of which were scored in Test matches while the other two came in One Day Internationals. In Tests,thirteen of his centuries came in the first innings and three in the second innings.
Between 2002 and 2005,he was a member of the Channel 4 commentary team for the coverage of Test cricket in England. During this period he also worked as a commentator for BBC Radio and Talksport on Test matches outside England. Atherton joined the Sky Sports commentary team in 2005,after they won the rights to live Test cricket in England,joining long-time England teammate Nasser Hussain,their former England coach David "Bumble" Lloyd and former England captain David Gower. He commentates on all forms of the game,home and abroad,as well as covering some domestic matches. He often performs as the post-match master of ceremonies for internationals in England,presenting awards and interviewing players.
In 2002 he produced his autobiography:Opening Up. He has also written Gambling:A Story of Triumph and Disaster,published in 2006.
In March 2010 he won Sports Journalist of the Year,at the British Press Awards. The judges announced this was "a unanimous choice",praised the former England cricket captain for "tackling subjects way beyond cricket" and said "the brilliance of his writing shines."[citation needed]
He was one of the commentators in 2011 Cricket World Cup. He has gained fame for his no nonsense but dryly humorous views on cricket.[citation needed]
Personal life
Atherton is married to Isabelle De Caires (granddaughter of West Indies test cricketer Frank De Caires),hailing from Guyana. Atherton's elder son,Joshua de Caires,signed a professional contract with Middlesex in 2020,and made his first-class debut for Middlesex in July 2021.[55]
Health
Atherton suffers from the degenerative condition ankylosing spondylitis,which meant he could not duck under bouncers,but had to stand tall and sway out of the way. Allan Donald used this against him by bowling short.[56][57]
Related Research Articles
The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. As the joint oldest team in Test cricket history,playing in the first ever Test match in 1877,the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket,participating in both the first ODI,against England in the 1970–71 season and the first T20I,against New Zealand in the 2004–05 season,winning both games. The team draws its players from teams playing in the Australian domestic competitions –the Sheffield Shield,the Australian domestic limited-overs cricket tournament and the Big Bash League. Australia are the current ICC World Test Championship and ICC Cricket World Cup champions. They are regarded as one of the most successful cricket teams in the history of Cricket
Graham Paul Thorpe is a former English cricketer who played for England internationally and Surrey domestically. A left-handed middle-order batsman and slip fielder,he appeared in 100 Test matches.
Graham Alan Gooch,is a former English first-class cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation,and through a career spanning 1973 until 1997,he was the most prolific run scorer of all time,with 67,057 runs across first-a class and limited-overs games. His List A cricket tally of 22,211 runs is also a record. He is one of only 25 players to have scored over 100 first-class centuries.
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former cricketer who represented England at international level in both Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODI). Knott is widely regarded as one of the most eccentric characters in cricket and as one of the greatest wicket-keepers ever to play the game. He was described by cricket journalist Simon Wilde as "a natural gloveman,beautifully economical in his movements and armed with tremendous powers of concentration".
David Clarence Boon is an Australian cricket match referee,former cricket commentator and international cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1996. A right-handed batsman and a very occasional off-spin bowler,he played first-class cricket for both his home state Tasmania and English county side Durham. Boon was a part of the Australian team that won their first world title during the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
Devon Eugene Malcolm is a former English cricketer. Born in Kingston,Jamaica,Malcolm played in 40 Test matches and 30 One Day Internationals for the England cricket team.
Michael Edward Killeen Hussey is an Australian cricket coach,commentator and former international cricketer,who played all forms of the game. Hussey is also widely known by his nickname 'Mr Cricket'. Hussey was a relative latecomer to both the one-day international and Test Australian teams,debuting at 28 and 30 years of age in the respective formats,with 15,313 first-class runs before making his Test debut. With his time representing Australia,Hussey won multiple ICC titles with the team:the 2007 Cricket World Cup,the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy,and the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
Ottis Delroy Gibson is a Barbadian cricket coach and former cricketer who played for the West Indies cricket team. From 2010 to 2014,Gibson was the head coach for the West Indies,where he led the team to be champions of the 2012 T20 World Cup. He has been appointed as Bangladesh bowling head coach and previously twice worked as bowling coach for England,from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2015 to 2017. Gibson also coached the South African cricket team from 2017 to 2019. He is currently the pace bowling coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team and Multan Sultans. In January 2022 Gibson was appointed the head coach of Yorkshire County Cricket Club,he is set to join the team after the conclusion of the 2022 Pakistan Super League season.
Edward Ernest Hemmings is a former English cricketer,who played in 16 Test matches and 33 One Day Internationals for the England cricket team between 1982 and 1991. He made his England debut relatively late in his career,at the age of 33,having predominantly represented Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. His chance came when several England players announced their intention to go on a rebel cricket tour to South Africa.
Stuart Christopher John Broad is a former English cricketer who played Test cricket for the England cricket team and was One Day and Twenty20 International captain. Broad was a member of the England team that won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. He is regarded as one of the greatest Test bowlers of all time.
In 2001,the Australia national cricket team toured England and Ireland to play county matches and the 2001 Ashes series. The Ashes series was played from 5 July to 27 August.
Dean Elgar is a former South African cricketer who played Tests and ODIs,and also a former Test captain. He is a left-handed opening batter and a slow-left arm bowler.
Christopher John Llewellyn Rogers is a former Australian cricketer who played for the Australian national team. Rogers is a left-handed opening batsman. He spent ten years playing for Western Australia,before moving to play for Victoria in 2008. He played county cricket in England for ten years representing five first-class teams:Derbyshire,Leicestershire,Northamptonshire,Middlesex and Somerset. Rogers holds the record for most half centuries in consecutive innings.
In cricket,a one-Test wonder is usually a cricketer who is only selected for one Test match during his career and never represents his country again. This is not necessarily due to a poor performance and can be for numerous reasons,such as injury or strong competition from other players. The term is also used in rugby.
Kraigg Clairmonte Brathwaite is a Barbadian cricketer who captains the West Indies in Test cricket. He is a right-handed batsman and occasionally bowls off breaks. On 6 November 2011,he became only the second West Indian to score two Test fifties before his 19th birthday when he made 63 (212) against India in Delhi. He has also effectively stood as stand-in-captain in place of Jason Holder in seven test matches before becoming the permanent captain of the test team taking over from Holder. He idolises Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his batting style.
Rory Joseph Burns is an English cricketer who has played internationally for the England Test cricket team. In domestic cricket,he captains Surrey in first-class and List A cricket.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
