Min Patel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personal information
Min Patel
England
Full name	Minal Mahesh Patel
Nickname	Diamond
Born	7 July 1970 (1970-07-07) (age 37)
	Bombay (now Mumbai), India
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Role	Bowler
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Slow left arm orthodox
International information
Test debut (cap 579)	6 June 1996: v India
Last Test	9 July 1996: v India
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1989 – 2007	Kent (squad no. 77)
2005 – 2006	Central Districts
Career statistics
	Tests	FC	LA	T20
Matches	2	208	85	9
Runs scored	45	3945	269	18
Batting average	22.50	17.37	9.96	6.00
100s/50s	0/0	0/17	0/0	0/0
Top score	27	87	27*	8

Balls bowled	276	44787	3648	196
Wickets	1	630	88	15
Bowling average	180.00	30.64	30.69	17.13
5 wickets in innings	–	30	0	0
10 wickets in match	–	9	n/a	n/a
Best bowling	1/101	8/96	3/20	4/26
Catches/stumpings	2/–	102/–	24/–	0/–
As of 13 November 2007 Source: Cricinfo

Minal Mahesh Patel (born July 7, 1970) is a retired Indian-born cricketer; who made 2 appearances in Test cricket for England. He was a right-handed batsman and a slow left arm bowler, who primarily played for Kent.

Born in Bombay (now called Mumbai), and educated in England at Dartford Grammar School and later Manchester Polytechnic, Patel's first-class debut for Kent came at the tail-end of the 1989 English cricket season, in a match against high-flying Middlesex^[1]. He became a regular in the Kent side over the following seasons, and in 1994 and 1995 "took wickets for fun"^[2]; indeed in 1994 he was the leading wicket-taker in England with 90 at a bowling average of 22.86^[3]. Pitches at Kent's home ground, the St Lawrence Ground, began to be prepared specifically for the spin bowling of Patel and Carl Hooper, despite the home side also boasting a seam attack of Alan Igglesden, Martin McCague, Dean Headley and Duncan Spencer^[4].

1996 saw Patel make his Test debut against the country of his birth, India. One of seven players to make their debut in the match at Edgbaston^[5], Patel struggled to make an impact on a green wicket, only bowling ten overs in England's eight wicket win^[6]. Left out for the second Test at Lord's, he returned for the third Test at Trent Bridge. Again, Patel struggled on a pitch not suited to spin bowling, however he managed to take his maiden (and last) Test wicket; that of Sanjay Manjrekar, caught by Graeme Hick^[7].

Patel's career looked to be in jeopardy during 1997, when a combination of injuries sustained while teaching PE and whilst batting for his club side ruled him out for most of the season^[4]. He returned the following season, and performed consistantly for them through the following eight seasons^[8].

Patel joined Central Districts for one season over the winter of 2005/2006, where he proved a useful asset in the side's State Championship victory, taking six wickets in the final^[9]. This came after he had been mentioned in relation to a possible recall to the England squad^[4] as cover for Ashley Giles on the tour of Pakistan.

Following a recurring elbow injury, he announced his retirement from first-class cricket at the start of the 2008 season^[10].