Mike Gatting: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|English cricketer (born 1957)}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}} |
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{{Use British English|date=October 2013}} |
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}} |
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| family = [[Steve Gatting]] (brother)<br />[[Joe Gatting]] (nephew) |
| family = [[Steve Gatting]] (brother)<br />[[Joe Gatting]] (nephew) |
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| international = true |
| international = true |
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| internationalspan = 1977–1995 |
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| country = England |
| country = England |
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| testdebutdate = 18 January |
| testdebutdate = 18 January |
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| best bowling4 = 6/26 |
| best bowling4 = 6/26 |
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| catches/stumpings4 = 177/– |
| catches/stumpings4 = 177/– |
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| medaltemplates = <!-- Mention Host Names for Team Sports--> |
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{{MedalSport|Men's [[Cricket]]}} |
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{{MedalCountry|{{cr|ENG}}}} |
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{{MedalCompetition|[[ICC Cricket World Cup]]}} |
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{{Medal|RU|[[1979 Cricket World Cup|1979 England]]|}} |
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{{Medal|RU|[[1987 Cricket World Cup|1987 India and Pakistan]]|}} |
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| source = http://content.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13340.html ESPNcricinfo |
| source = http://content.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/13340.html ESPNcricinfo |
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| date = 10 March |
| date = 10 March |
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| year = 2017 |
| year = 2017 |
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| module = {{Listen| embed=yes |filename = Mike Gatting voice.ogg |title = Gatting's voice |type = speech |description = recorded 2012, as part of an [[:File:Mike Gatting on the Tower of London.ogg|audio description of the Tower of London]] for [[VocalEyes]] }} |
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'''Michael William Gatting''' {{post-nominals|OBE}} (born 6 June 1957)<ref name="Cap">{{cite book |title=If The Cap Fits |last=Bateman |first=Colin |
'''Michael William Gatting''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (born 6 June 1957)<ref name="Cap">{{cite book |title=If The Cap Fits |last=Bateman |first=Colin |year=1993 |publisher=Tony Williams Publications |isbn=1-869833-21-X |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ifcapfits0000unse/page/74 74–75] |url=https://archive.org/details/ifcapfits0000unse/page/74 }}</ref> is an English former [[cricket]]er, who played [[first-class cricket]] for [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex]] (1975–1998; captain 1983–1997) and for [[England cricket team|England]] from 1977 to 1995, [[Captain (cricket)|captaining]] the national side in twenty-three [[Test cricket|Test match]]es between 1986 and 1988. He toured South Africa as captain of the rebel tour party in 1990. He was a part of the English squad which finished as [[1979 Cricket World Cup final|runners-up]] at the [[1979 Cricket World Cup]] and captain of the squad which finished as [[1987 Cricket World Cup final|runners-up]] at the [[1987 Cricket World Cup]]. |
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He replaced [[John Buchanan (Australian cricketer)|John Buchanan]] as the county coach, serving during 1999 and 2000. |
He replaced [[John Buchanan (Australian cricketer)|John Buchanan]] as the county coach, serving during 1999 and 2000. |
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He is currently an elected member of the [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex C.C.C. Executive Board]] and the [[Marylebone Cricket Club|M.C.C. Committee]]. He has previously served as the [[England and Wales Cricket Board|ECB managing director of Cricket Partnerships]] and President of [[Marylebone Cricket Club]]<ref name="Gatting to be next MCC president">{{cite news|url=http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-news/gatting-mcc-president/60825|title=Gatting to be next MCC president|publisher=Wisden India|date= |
He is currently an elected member of the [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex C.C.C. Executive Board]] and the [[Marylebone Cricket Club|M.C.C. Committee]]. He has previously served as the [[England and Wales Cricket Board|ECB managing director of Cricket Partnerships]] and President of [[Marylebone Cricket Club]]<ref name="Gatting to be next MCC president">{{cite news|url=http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-news/gatting-mcc-president/60825|title=Gatting to be next MCC president|publisher=Wisden India|date=1 May 2013|access-date=2 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712001539/http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-news/gatting-mcc-president/60825|archive-date=12 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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Cricket writer Colin Bateman has stated that "talk of Gatting the batsman always evokes adjectives such as pugnacious, bold, brave and belligerent".<ref name="Cap"/> |
Cricket writer Colin Bateman has stated that "talk of Gatting the batsman always evokes adjectives such as pugnacious, bold, brave and belligerent".<ref name="Cap"/> |
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== Youth career == |
== Youth career == |
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As a youngster, Gatting became first batsman to score a century on Youth ODI debut in 1976. He scored 126 runs in that innings against the West Indies U19's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/Under_19_ODI/Overall/Batting/Hundred_on_Debut.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website= |
As a youngster, Gatting became first batsman to score a century on Youth ODI debut in 1976. He scored 126 runs in that innings against the West Indies U19's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/Under_19_ODI/Overall/Batting/Hundred_on_Debut.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com|access-date=4 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/36/36558.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com|access-date=4 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="Celebrity triallists">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/aug/02/theknowledge.sport|title=Celebrity triallists|work=The Guardian|author1=Smyth, Rob |author2=Dunn, Carrie |author3=Dart, James |date=2 August 2006}}</ref> |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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Before playing cricket professionally, Gatting used to play football for [[Watford Football Club|Watford reserves]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120324200404/http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/your-questions/tm_headline |
Before playing cricket professionally, Gatting used to play football for [[Watford Football Club|Watford reserves]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120324200404/http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/your-questions/tm_headline%3Dask--mike-gatting%26method%3Dfull%26objectid%3D19137292%26siteid%3D50081-name_page.html Ask: Mike Gatting]. ''The Sunday Sun'' (20 May 2007)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/737770 |title=Off-side – a cricketing XI that made strides in football |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=21 June 2018}}</ref> As a fourteen-year-old goalkeeper on trial at [[Queen's Park Rangers F.C.|Queen's Park Rangers]], Gatting was told that he was too short and overweight to make the grade. Gatting also went on an unfruitful trial with fellow Londoners [[Arsenal F.C]]. That being so, he turned to cricket for his sporting future and QPR signed the other trialist that day, [[Phil Parkes (footballer born 1950)|Phil Parkes]].<ref name="Cap"/><ref name="Celebrity triallists"/> |
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In domestic cricket, Gatting was one of the most prolific batsmen in England for most of his career, but it took him several years to establish himself in the England team. He initially had great difficulty converting fifties into centuries at Test match level and he did not achieve a Test century until his fifty-fourth Test innings;<ref name="Cap"/> he went on to accumulate ten hundreds in all. His highest Test score of 207 was scored in [[M. A. Chidambaram Stadium|Madras]]. [[Graeme Fowler]] also scored a [[Century (cricket)|double century]] in the same innings; it remains the only occasion where two English batsmen scored double centuries in the same innings of a test match. Gatting later captained England to an [[The Ashes|Ashes]] series victory in Australia in 1986/87. |
In domestic cricket, Gatting was one of the most prolific batsmen in England for most of his career, but it took him several years to establish himself in the England team. He initially had great difficulty converting fifties into centuries at Test match level and he did not achieve a Test century until his fifty-fourth Test innings;<ref name="Cap"/> he went on to accumulate ten hundreds in all. His highest Test score of 207 was scored in [[M. A. Chidambaram Stadium|Madras]]. [[Graeme Fowler]] also scored a [[Century (cricket)|double century]] in the same innings; it remains the only occasion where two English batsmen scored double centuries in the same innings of a test match. Gatting later captained England to an [[The Ashes|Ashes]] series victory in Australia in 1986/87. |
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Another mishap for which Gatting will be remembered is being caught by Australian wicketkeeper [[Greg Dyer]], after trying to play a [[Batting (cricket)#Reverse sweep|reverse sweep]] off opposing captain [[Allan Border]]'s first ball during the [[1987 Cricket World Cup|1987 World Cup]] final.<ref name="Cap"/> |
Another mishap for which Gatting will be remembered is being caught by Australian wicketkeeper [[Greg Dyer]], after trying to play a [[Batting (cricket)#Reverse sweep|reverse sweep]] off opposing captain [[Allan Border]]'s first ball during the [[1987 Cricket World Cup|1987 World Cup]] final.<ref name="Cap"/> |
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In 1987, Gatting gained notoriety in the "[[Shakoor Rana]] affair" when he argued with umpire Shakoor Rana in [[Faisalabad]]. He was accused of adjusting the field illegally, i.e. after the bowler had started running in, and warned. In fact, Gatting had been signalling to the long leg fielder to stop walking in, and the move was legal as it was not in the batsman's eyeline. Rana shouted 'stop, stop' and signalled dead ball, however, infuriating Gatting. Tempers were already frayed following a string of umpiring decisions that had gone against England, and the England team were unhappy that Rana was wearing a Pakistan sweater under his jacket. An on-pitch argument ensued, during the course of which Rana accused Gatting of breaking the rules and Gatting shouted 'We made the rules'. He had to be dragged away by [[Bill Athey]]. Rana refused to resume the match the following morning until Gatting delivered a handwritten apology, which he did under protest – eventually, the match was drawn due to bad light. The England hierarchy supported him, flying officials out to mediate with the board and deal with press relations. The Pakistan board supported Rana, naming him umpire for the deciding Test, from which position they only backed down when it was clear the England team would not play if Rana officiated, naming two other umpires. Indeed, the TCCB subsequently paid all players in the England party a £1000 'hardship' bonus for the tour.<ref name="Williamson">{{cite |
In 1987, Gatting gained notoriety in the "[[Shakoor Rana]] affair" when he argued with umpire Shakoor Rana in [[Faisalabad]]. He was accused of adjusting the field illegally, i.e. after the bowler had started running in, and warned. In fact, Gatting had been signalling to the long leg fielder to stop walking in, and the move was legal as it was not in the batsman's eyeline. Rana shouted 'stop, stop' and signalled dead ball, however, infuriating Gatting. Tempers were already frayed following a string of umpiring decisions that had gone against England, and the England team were unhappy that Rana was wearing a Pakistan sweater under his jacket. An on-pitch argument ensued, during the course of which Rana accused Gatting of breaking the rules and Gatting shouted 'We made the rules'. He had to be dragged away by [[Bill Athey]]. Rana refused to resume the match the following morning until Gatting delivered a handwritten apology, which he did under protest – eventually, the match was drawn due to bad light. The England hierarchy supported him, flying officials out to mediate with the board and deal with press relations. The Pakistan board supported Rana, naming him umpire for the deciding Test, from which position they only backed down when it was clear the England team would not play if Rana officiated, naming two other umpires. Indeed, the TCCB subsequently paid all players in the England party a £1000 'hardship' bonus for the tour.<ref name="Williamson">{{cite news|last=Williamson|first=Martin|title=Fury in Faisalabd|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/226974.html|work=ESPNcricinfo|date=26 November 2005}}</ref> |
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Martin Williamson, editor of Cricinfo, subsequently commented of the incident, 'Whatever the provocation, Gatting was in the wrong.' Gatting also reflected later that 'it wasn't a very proud moment of my career.'<ref name="Williamson"/> He also admitted that, whatever the official reason given, it was the real reason why he lost the England captaincy the following summer.<ref>{{cite |
Martin Williamson, editor of Cricinfo, subsequently commented of the incident, 'Whatever the provocation, Gatting was in the wrong.' Gatting also reflected later that 'it wasn't a very proud moment of my career.'<ref name="Williamson"/> He also admitted that, whatever the official reason given, it was the real reason why he lost the England captaincy the following summer.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gatting|first=Mike|title=The Shakoor Rana Incident Still Rankles|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/463222.html|work=ESPNcricinfo|date=10 July 2010}}</ref> However, it went a long way towards establishing the principle of neutral umpires to prevent blatant bias by home country umpires, which had not always been the case previously. Rana said he did it 'for umpires everywhere'.<ref>{{cite news|last=Williamson|first=Martin|title=Officious Officialdom|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/256472.html|work=ESPNcricinfo|date=22 August 2006}}</ref> |
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Gatting was sacked as England captain the following summer over an alleged encounter with a barmaid, triggering the "[[summer of four captains]]".<ref name="Cap"/> He subsequently led |
Gatting was sacked as England captain the following summer over an alleged encounter with a barmaid, triggering the "[[summer of four captains]]".<ref name="Cap"/> He subsequently led [[England XI in South Africa in 1989–90|a highly controversial rebel tour]] to South Africa.<ref name="Cap"/> Gatting hit the headlines during the tour for describing a protest outside the rebel team's hotel as "a few people singing and dancing".<ref>[http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link=template&story=93 "Bloody Money"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041206164002/http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link=template&story=93 |date=6 December 2004 }}, ''Searchlight''. Retrieved 19 May 2008</ref> The rebels received three-year international bans. |
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In June 1993, during England's first innings at [[Old Trafford (cricket)|Old Trafford]], Gatting received [[Shane Warne]]'s first delivery – now known as the "[[Ball of the Century]]" – in an [[1993 Ashes series|Ashes]] match. Warne pitched the ball a foot outside leg stump and spun the ball past Gatting's bat to clip the off bail. Gatting's dismissal in the second innings was also unusual, in that he was bowled off the very last ball of the fourth day's play by [[Merv Hughes]], meaning he was unable to help England bat out the last day. Australia went on to win during the last session on that last day. |
In June 1993, during England's first innings at [[Old Trafford (cricket)|Old Trafford]], Gatting received [[Shane Warne]]'s first delivery – now known as the "[[Ball of the Century]]" – in an [[1993 Ashes series|Ashes]] match. Warne pitched the ball a foot outside leg stump and spun the ball past Gatting's bat to clip the off bail. Gatting's dismissal in the second innings was also unusual, in that he was bowled off the very last ball of the fourth day's play by [[Merv Hughes]], meaning he was unable to help England bat out the last day. Australia went on to win during the last session on that last day. |
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Gatting's last Tests were played on tour in [[English cricket team in Australia in 1994-95|Australia in 1994/95]]. [[Graham Gooch]] and |
Gatting's last Tests were played on tour in [[English cricket team in Australia in 1994-95|Australia in 1994/95]]. [[Graham Gooch]] and he were the only two members of the original touring party to be fit for all matches, although they were the two oldest in the squad. In the first innings of the Adelaide Test he scored his final century (117), a battling effort where he spent a lot of time in the nineties. His score helped England to their only win in the series. |
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Gatting was a useful right arm medium pace bowler. He averaged under thirty with the ball in both first-class and List A cricket, but he did not bowl with great frequency in International cricket. Perhaps his finest bowling performance was against South Africa during the final [[One Day International]] of the 1989/90 rebel England tour to South Africa where his 6/26 helped England to a comfortable 134-run victory.<ref>[http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/1980S/1989-90/OTHERS+ICC/ENG-XI_IN_RSA/ENG-XI_RSA_REBEL-ODI4_22FEB1990.html 4th Rebel ODI: South Africa v England XI at Johannesburg, 22 Feb 1990<!--Bot generated title-->]</ref> |
Gatting was a useful right arm medium pace bowler. He averaged under thirty with the ball in both first-class and List A cricket, but he did not bowl with great frequency in International cricket. Perhaps his finest bowling performance was against South Africa during the final [[One Day International]] of the 1989/90 rebel England tour to South Africa where his 6/26 helped England to a comfortable 134-run victory.<ref>[http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/1980S/1989-90/OTHERS+ICC/ENG-XI_IN_RSA/ENG-XI_RSA_REBEL-ODI4_22FEB1990.html 4th Rebel ODI: South Africa v England XI at Johannesburg, 22 Feb 1990<!--Bot generated title-->]</ref> |
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Gatting was named as one of [[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'s five [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] in 1984. In 1987, he was awarded an [[OBE]]. |
Gatting was named as one of [[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|Wisden]]'s five [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] in 1984. In 1987, he was awarded an [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]]. |
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==Retirement== |
==Retirement== |
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[[File:Mike Gatting graph.png|thumb|350px|Mike Gatting's Test career batting performance graph |
[[File:Mike Gatting graph.png|thumb|350px|Mike Gatting's Test career batting performance graph]] |
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He retired from first-class cricket in 1998 and has since worked as a coach and commentator. He is also a Past President of the [[Lord's Taverners]] for 2005–06 and the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) for 2013–14. He is currently in his second term as an elected member of the MCC committee and is also a co-opted member of the [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex C.C.C. Executive Board]]. Since October 2017 he has been the chairman of MCC's World Cricket committee.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lord MacLaurin set to assume office as MCC President|url=https://www.lords.org/news/2017/september/lord-maclaurin-set-to-assume-office-as-mcc-president/|website=Lord's| |
He retired from first-class cricket in 1998 and has since worked as a coach and commentator. He is also a Past President of the [[Lord's Taverners]] for 2005–06 and the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) for 2013–14. He is currently in his second term as an elected member of the MCC committee and is also a co-opted member of the [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex C.C.C. Executive Board]]. Since October 2017 he has been the chairman of MCC's World Cricket committee.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lord MacLaurin set to assume office as MCC President|url=https://www.lords.org/news/2017/september/lord-maclaurin-set-to-assume-office-as-mcc-president/|website=Lord's|access-date=3 October 2017}}</ref> |
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Mike Gatting is not the only member of his family to have been a professional sportsman; his brother, [[Steve Gatting]], was a professional [[association football|football]]er for [[ |
Mike Gatting is not the only member of his family to have been a professional sportsman; his brother, [[Steve Gatting]], was a professional [[association football|football]]er for [[Woolwich wonderers F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]. Steve's son, [[Joe Gatting|Joe]], played for Brighton & Hove Albion, having progressed from their youth scheme, and later played professional cricket for [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]] and [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]] between 2009 and 2015. |
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He appeared as himself on ''[[The Archers]]'' on 9 September 2007 at the centre of a misunderstanding between Sid and Jolene Perks during the npower [[Village Cup]] Final at [[Lord's]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/09_september/07/archers.shtml BBC – Press Office – From The Ashes to The Archers]. 7 September 2007</ref> |
He appeared as himself on ''[[The Archers]]'' on 9 September 2007 at the centre of a misunderstanding between Sid and Jolene Perks during the npower [[Village Cup]] Final at [[Lord's]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/09_september/07/archers.shtml BBC – Press Office – From The Ashes to The Archers]. 7 September 2007</ref> |
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In May 2013, it was announced that he would be the President of [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] and helm it during bicentenary of Lord's and also Middlesex will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its formation.<ref name="Gatting to be next MCC president"/> |
In May 2013, it was announced that he would be the President of [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] and helm it during bicentenary of Lord's and also Middlesex will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its formation.<ref name="Gatting to be next MCC president"/> |
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Gatting Way, the road in Uxbridge that leads from Park Road to the [[Uxbridge Cricket Club Ground]], of which [[Middlesex County Cricket Club]] are tenants, is named after Mike Gatting. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:1957 births]] |
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Latest revision as of 15:55, 1 November 2024
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Michael William Gatting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Kingsbury, London | 6 June 1957|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Gatt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations | Steve Gatting (brother) Joe Gatting (nephew) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
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Test debut (cap 477) | 18 January 1978 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 7 February 1995 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ODI debut (cap 43) | 23 December 1977 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last ODI | 20 March 1993 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1975–1998 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 10 March 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael William Gatting OBE (born 6 June 1957)[1] is an English former cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex (1975–1998; captain 1983–1997) and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988. He toured South Africa as captain of the rebel tour party in 1990. He was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1979 Cricket World Cup and captain of the squad which finished as runners-up at the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
He replaced John Buchanan as the county coach, serving during 1999 and 2000.
He is currently an elected member of the Middlesex C.C.C. Executive Board and the M.C.C. Committee. He has previously served as the ECB managing director of Cricket Partnerships and President of Marylebone Cricket Club[2]
Cricket writer Colin Bateman has stated that "talk of Gatting the batsman always evokes adjectives such as pugnacious, bold, brave and belligerent".[1]
Youth career
[edit]As a youngster, Gatting became first batsman to score a century on Youth ODI debut in 1976. He scored 126 runs in that innings against the West Indies U19's.[3][4][5]
Career
[edit]Before playing cricket professionally, Gatting used to play football for Watford reserves.[6][7] As a fourteen-year-old goalkeeper on trial at Queen's Park Rangers, Gatting was told that he was too short and overweight to make the grade. Gatting also went on an unfruitful trial with fellow Londoners Arsenal F.C. That being so, he turned to cricket for his sporting future and QPR signed the other trialist that day, Phil Parkes.[1][5]
In domestic cricket, Gatting was one of the most prolific batsmen in England for most of his career, but it took him several years to establish himself in the England team. He initially had great difficulty converting fifties into centuries at Test match level and he did not achieve a Test century until his fifty-fourth Test innings;[1] he went on to accumulate ten hundreds in all. His highest Test score of 207 was scored in Madras. Graeme Fowler also scored a double century in the same innings; it remains the only occasion where two English batsmen scored double centuries in the same innings of a test match. Gatting later captained England to an Ashes series victory in Australia in 1986/87.
During a one-day match in 1986, Gatting's nose was shattered by a ferocious delivery from West Indies fast bowler Malcolm Marshall. Marshall later found shards of the nose embedded in the ball's leather. The incident set the tone for the series as the West Indies' fearsome pace attack spearheaded England's thrashing 5–0.[8]
Another mishap for which Gatting will be remembered is being caught by Australian wicketkeeper Greg Dyer, after trying to play a reverse sweep off opposing captain Allan Border's first ball during the 1987 World Cup final.[1]
In 1987, Gatting gained notoriety in the "Shakoor Rana affair" when he argued with umpire Shakoor Rana in Faisalabad. He was accused of adjusting the field illegally, i.e. after the bowler had started running in, and warned. In fact, Gatting had been signalling to the long leg fielder to stop walking in, and the move was legal as it was not in the batsman's eyeline. Rana shouted 'stop, stop' and signalled dead ball, however, infuriating Gatting. Tempers were already frayed following a string of umpiring decisions that had gone against England, and the England team were unhappy that Rana was wearing a Pakistan sweater under his jacket. An on-pitch argument ensued, during the course of which Rana accused Gatting of breaking the rules and Gatting shouted 'We made the rules'. He had to be dragged away by Bill Athey. Rana refused to resume the match the following morning until Gatting delivered a handwritten apology, which he did under protest – eventually, the match was drawn due to bad light. The England hierarchy supported him, flying officials out to mediate with the board and deal with press relations. The Pakistan board supported Rana, naming him umpire for the deciding Test, from which position they only backed down when it was clear the England team would not play if Rana officiated, naming two other umpires. Indeed, the TCCB subsequently paid all players in the England party a £1000 'hardship' bonus for the tour.[9]
Martin Williamson, editor of Cricinfo, subsequently commented of the incident, 'Whatever the provocation, Gatting was in the wrong.' Gatting also reflected later that 'it wasn't a very proud moment of my career.'[9] He also admitted that, whatever the official reason given, it was the real reason why he lost the England captaincy the following summer.[10] However, it went a long way towards establishing the principle of neutral umpires to prevent blatant bias by home country umpires, which had not always been the case previously. Rana said he did it 'for umpires everywhere'.[11]
Gatting was sacked as England captain the following summer over an alleged encounter with a barmaid, triggering the "summer of four captains".[1] He subsequently led a highly controversial rebel tour to South Africa.[1] Gatting hit the headlines during the tour for describing a protest outside the rebel team's hotel as "a few people singing and dancing".[12] The rebels received three-year international bans.
In June 1993, during England's first innings at Old Trafford, Gatting received Shane Warne's first delivery – now known as the "Ball of the Century" – in an Ashes match. Warne pitched the ball a foot outside leg stump and spun the ball past Gatting's bat to clip the off bail. Gatting's dismissal in the second innings was also unusual, in that he was bowled off the very last ball of the fourth day's play by Merv Hughes, meaning he was unable to help England bat out the last day. Australia went on to win during the last session on that last day.
Gatting's last Tests were played on tour in Australia in 1994/95. Graham Gooch and he were the only two members of the original touring party to be fit for all matches, although they were the two oldest in the squad. In the first innings of the Adelaide Test he scored his final century (117), a battling effort where he spent a lot of time in the nineties. His score helped England to their only win in the series.
Gatting was a useful right arm medium pace bowler. He averaged under thirty with the ball in both first-class and List A cricket, but he did not bowl with great frequency in International cricket. Perhaps his finest bowling performance was against South Africa during the final One Day International of the 1989/90 rebel England tour to South Africa where his 6/26 helped England to a comfortable 134-run victory.[13]
Gatting was named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 1984. In 1987, he was awarded an OBE.
Retirement
[edit]He retired from first-class cricket in 1998 and has since worked as a coach and commentator. He is also a Past President of the Lord's Taverners for 2005–06 and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for 2013–14. He is currently in his second term as an elected member of the MCC committee and is also a co-opted member of the Middlesex C.C.C. Executive Board. Since October 2017 he has been the chairman of MCC's World Cricket committee.[14]
Mike Gatting is not the only member of his family to have been a professional sportsman; his brother, Steve Gatting, was a professional footballer for Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion. Steve's son, Joe, played for Brighton & Hove Albion, having progressed from their youth scheme, and later played professional cricket for Sussex and Hampshire between 2009 and 2015.
He appeared as himself on The Archers on 9 September 2007 at the centre of a misunderstanding between Sid and Jolene Perks during the npower Village Cup Final at Lord's.[15]
In May 2013, it was announced that he would be the President of Marylebone Cricket Club and helm it during bicentenary of Lord's and also Middlesex will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its formation.[2]
Gatting Way, the road in Uxbridge that leads from Park Road to the Uxbridge Cricket Club Ground, of which Middlesex County Cricket Club are tenants, is named after Mike Gatting.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 74–75. ISBN 1-869833-21-X.
- ^ a b "Gatting to be next MCC president". Wisden India. 1 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ a b Smyth, Rob; Dunn, Carrie; Dart, James (2 August 2006). "Celebrity triallists". The Guardian.
- ^ Ask: Mike Gatting. The Sunday Sun (20 May 2007)
- ^ "Off-side – a cricketing XI that made strides in football". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ Williamson, Martin (2 May 2006) "Dangerous games" ESPNcricinfo
- ^ a b Williamson, Martin (26 November 2005). "Fury in Faisalabd". ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ Gatting, Mike (10 July 2010). "The Shakoor Rana Incident Still Rankles". ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ Williamson, Martin (22 August 2006). "Officious Officialdom". ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ "Bloody Money" Archived 6 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine, Searchlight. Retrieved 19 May 2008
- ^ 4th Rebel ODI: South Africa v England XI at Johannesburg, 22 Feb 1990
- ^ "Lord MacLaurin set to assume office as MCC President". Lord's. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ BBC – Press Office – From The Ashes to The Archers. 7 September 2007
External links
[edit]- 1957 births
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