Mike Gatting

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	Tests	ODIs
Mike Gatting England (Eng)

Batting style	Right-hand bat (RHB)
Bowling type	Right-arm medium (RM)
Matches	79	92
Runs scored	4,409	2,095
Batting average	35.55	29.50
100s/50s	10/21	1/9
Top score	207	115*
Overs bowled	125.2	65.2
Wickets	4	10
Bowling average	79.25	33.60
5 wickets in innings	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a
Best bowling	1/14	3/32
Catches/stumpings	59	22/0
As of 29 June 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com

Michael William Gatting (born Kingsbury June 6, 1957), usually known as Mike, was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club (1975–1998; County Captain 1983–1997). He also played for the English cricket team from 1977 to 1995, captaining it in 23 Test matches between 1986 and 1988.

Gatting was one of the most prolific batsmen in English domestic cricket virtually throughout his career, but it took him several years to establish himself in the England team, as he initially had great difficulty converting fifties into centuries at Test match level. His first Test century finally arrived after 54 Test innings and he eventually accumulated ten of them. His highest Test score of 207 was scored in Madras (now Chennai); this was the second double century by an English cricketer in India in the same innings as Graeme Fowler, who scored the first double century: this was the first time that two English batsmen had made double centuries in the same Test innings.^[1]

He captained England to an Ashes series victory in Australia in 1986/87. Later that year came the "Shakoor Rana affair" when Gatting argued with a Pakistani umpire in Faisalabad. The England hierarchy supported him in Pakistan, but he was sacked as England captain the following summer over an alleged encounter with a barmaid, triggering the "summer of four captains". He subsequently led a highly controversial rebel tour to South Africa. Gatting hit the headlines during the tour for describing a protest outside the rebel team's hotel as "a few people singing and dancing". [1]

In June 1993 during England's first innings at Old Trafford Gatting received Shane Warne's first delivery 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. This is sometimes referred to as the Ball of the Century. His 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 to bat out the last day (Australia eventually won in the last session on the 5th day).

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.

His last Tests were played on tour in Australia in 1993/94. Graham Gooch and himself 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, which helped England to the only win of the series.

Career record	First-class	List A
Matches	551	551
Runs scored	36,549	14,476
Batting average	49.52	33.74
100s/50s	94/181	12/87
Top score	258	143*
Balls bowled	10,061	6,234
Wickets	158	175
Bowling average	29.76	27.52
5 wickets in innings	2	1
10 wickets in match	0	N/A
Best Bowling	5/34	6/26
Catches/Stumpings	493/0	177/0
As of 29 June 2005 Source: [2] Edit this template

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. 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. ^[2]

Gatting was named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 1984. He retired from first class cricket in 1998 and has since worked as a coach and commentator, where, as throughout his career, his supposed prodigious appetite for food remains the subject light hearted teasing. He is the current President of the Lord's Taverners for 2005/2006 and an elected member of the M.C.C. Committee.

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, is currently a youth player on Brighton & Hove Albion's books.

Preceded by Mike Brearley	Middlesex County Cricket Captain 1983-1997	Succeeded by Mark Ramprakash
Preceded by David Gower	English national cricket captain 1986-1988	Succeeded by John Emburey