Min Patel

Min Patel
Personal information
Full name Minal Mahesh Patel
Born 7 July 1970
Bombay (now Mumbai), India
Nickname Diamond
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Batting style Right-handed
Bowling style Slow left arm orthodox
Role Bowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 579) 6 June 1996 v India
Last Test 9 July 1996 v India
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1989–2007 Kent (squad no. 77)
2005–2006 Central Districts
Career statistics
Competition 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/–
Source: Cricinfo, 13 November 2007

Minal Mahesh Patel (born 7 July 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 consistently 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]

On 18 February 2009 he married Alison Hardwick.

On 9 May 2011, Min Patel visited Dartford Grammar School, where he was a student, for the grand opening ceremony of the cricket nets. Many guests and pupils joined him and Mr Oakes, the headmaster, in order to open the nets.

References

  1. CricketArchive. "Kent v Middlesex at Canterbury, 1989". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  2. Cricinfo. "Got him!". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  3. CricketArchive. "First-class Bowling in England for 1994 (Ordered by Wickets)". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Matthew Reed. "Brief Profile of Min Patel". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  5. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. "1997 – England v India". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  6. Cricinfo. "1st Test: England v India at Edgbaston, Jun 6–9, 1996". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  7. Cricinfo. "3rd Test: England v India at Nottingham, Jul 4–9, 1996". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  8. CricketArchive. "First-class bowling in Each Season by Min Patel". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  9. Cricinfo. "Final: Wellington v Central Districts at Wellington, 3–7 Apr, 2006". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  10. Cricinfo. "Min Patel announces retirement". Retrieved 2008-05-04.

External links