Mark Greatbatch

Mark Greatbatch
Personal information
Full name Mark John Greatbatch
Born (1963-12-11) 11 December 1963
Auckland, New Zealand
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Role Wicketkeeper
International information
National side
Test debut 25 February 1988 v England
Last Test 28 November 1996 v Pakistan
ODI debut 9 March 1988 v England
Last ODI 8 December 1996 v Pakistan
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1982–1986 Auckland
1986–2000 Central Districts
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC List-A
Matches 41 84 170 175
Runs scored 2021 2206 9890 4678
Batting average 30.62 28.28 37.89 29.98
100s/50s 3/10 2/13 24/43 2/34
Top score 146* 111 202* 111
Balls bowled 6 6 171 13
Wickets 0 0 1 0
Bowling average – – 149.00 0
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 0/0 0/5 1/23 0/4
Catches/stumpings 27/0 35 144/0 82/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 7 October 2009

Mark John Greatbatch (born on 11 December 1963 in Auckland) was a New Zealand cricketer. He scored more than 2,000 runs in his 41 Tests for New Zealand. A left-handed batsman and very occasional right-arm medium pace bowler in first class cricket for Auckland and Central Districts, Greatbatch scored 9,890 first class runs in total as well as being an occasional wicket keeper.

Greatbatch highest test score of 146 not out off 485 balls was against Australia at Perth in November 1989.[1] Greatbatch was at the crease for 11 hours (2 days) to save New Zealand from defeat, the game ending in a draw because of his efforts.[2] He received a standing ovation at the end of the game. Greatbatch’s defensive innings is still considered by many pundits to be one of the greatest cricket centuries ever, under the circumstances.

For the 1992 Cricket World Cup Greatbatch was not selected to play in the first match, against Australia. However, he was selected to open against South Africa in place of John Wright, who had been injured, and proceeded to bat aggressively to take advantage of fielding restrictions early in the innings. The strategy worked, so was repeated again throughout the World Cup and Greatbatch became one of the first 'pinch hitter' players to open an innings in One Day Internationals. Because of this success other cricketing nations, notably Sri Lanka, adopted the idea of opening with an aggressive batsman who normally plays in the middle order of test matches to score quick runs early and this tactic is now common in international cricket.

Greatbatch was a solid fielder and took some excellent diving catches throughout his career. In September 2005 he became director of coaching at Warwickshire County Cricket Club in England.[3] After relegation from both the County Championship and Pro40 League in 2007 he was replaced by Ashley Giles.[4] In January, 2010, Greatbatch was appointed the coach of the New Zealand national cricket team.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Only Test: Australia v New Zealand at Perth, Nov 24–28, 1989. Cricket Scorecard". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Monga, Sidharth (March 31, 2009). "I Was There: One man against the mob". Cricinfo Magazine. ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Greatbatch to coach Warwickshire. retrieved 5 October 2007
  4. ↑ Giles succeeds Greatbatch at Warwickshire, retrieved 5 October 2007
  5. ↑ Greatbatch handed New Zealand team coaching role, retrieved 30 January 2010
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