Mike Atherton - Cricketing Career

Cricketing Career

The young Mike Atherton captained the Manchester Grammar School cricket team for whom he scored almost 3,500 runs and took 170 wickets. His performances led to selection for the England under-19 team, which he captained aged 16. He also represented Lancashire Schools from 1982–86. 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.

Entering Downing College, Cambridge, to read history, he was selected at 18 to play for Cambridge University Cricket Club and awarded a blue. A year later he made 73 on his county debut for Lancashire County Cricket Club, scoring his maiden first-class hundred against Derbyshire a fortnight later. During this time he represented both his University, the Combined Universities cricket team (which he captained to the quarter finals of the Benson & Hedges cup in 1989) and his county. 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 team mates at the time.

His heady rise continued when he made his debut for England in the fifth test against Australia at Trent Bridge, where he scored 0 and 47. Atherton's chance came when several England players had just announced their decision to go on a rebel tour to South Africa and so were banned from the Test team. However, 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.

Atherton returned to the England side in the summer of 1990, partnering Graham Gooch at the top of the order, and giving a first demonstration of his abilities. In his first innings after recall, and his first opening the batting for England, he scored 151 against New Zealand. 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, 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, he averaged just 31 for his 279 runs, and England lost 3–0.

When Australia arrived for the 1993 Ashes series, Atherton's place in the team was not assured. However, a consistent summer when 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.

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 of 375 against them at Antigua; England was bowled out for 46 to lose the third Test (and with it the series) but then roared back at Bridgetown to win the 4th 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 first two Tests 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 rules – he pointed out that plenty of bowlers improve their grip on the ball by rubbing their hands on the pitch.

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, thus tying the series but failed to score a century.

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 five half-centuries into a hundred. Although England had a thrilling win at Adelaide, the team stumbled to a 1–3 loss.

The next two years followed a similar pattern, England appearing to improve with success against lower rated sides such as India and New Zealand but struggling against the talent of Australia and Pakistan. The lack of consistent progress and the effect of a back ailment contributed to Atherton's decision to resign after five years as captain.

Atherton continued to play Test cricket for a further 4 years and finally retired at the end of the 2001 Ashes. Dogged by his chronic back condition, his batting never again reached previous standards.

Atherton's finest performances came when he was "against the wall", such as his monumental 185 not out in 643 minutes to salvage a draw against South Africa, and his negation of an outstanding Allan Donald onslaught in 1998, and that this prompted Steve Waugh to dub him "The Cockroach" (being very hard to stamp out). However, the fact that Atherton was dismissed 19 times by Glenn McGrath, the Australian opening bowler (a record for any bowler against one batsman) suggests that this was a side of Atherton that Waugh seldom saw first-hand. Atherton's record against Australia is modest; he averaged under thirty, with only one century in 33 tests.

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 holds the record for the most English test ducks, having been dismissed for nought on 20 occasions at Test level (although this was matched by Stephen Harmison on 7 August 2009). Another dubious feature of Atherton's career is his record against the top bowlers of his time. Respectively, he has been dismissed 19 times by Glenn McGrath, 17 times each by Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose and 10 times by Shane Warne.