Mark Greatbatch

Mark Greatbatch

Personal information
Full name	Mark John Greatbatch
Born	11 December 1963 (1963-12-11) (age 47) Auckland, New Zealand
Batting style	Left-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm medium
Role	Wicketkeeper
International information
National side	New Zealand
Test debut	February 25 1988 v England
Last Test	November 28 1996 v Pakistan
ODI debut	March 9 1988 v England
Last ODI	December 8 1996 v Pakistan
Domestic team information
Years	Team
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, October 7 2009

Mark John Greatbatch (born on December 11, 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 in November 1989. Greatbatch was at the crease for 14 hours (3 days) to save New Zealand from defeat, the game ending in a draw because of his efforts. He received a standing ovation at the end of the game. Greatbatch’s defensive innings is still considered by many pundits^[who?] to be one of the greatest cricket centuries ever, under the circumstances.^{[citation needed]}

For the 1992 Cricket World Cup Greatbatch was not selected to play in the first two matches, against Australia and Zimbabwe. However, he was selected to open in place of John Wright against South Africa, 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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

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,^[1] after relegation from both the County Championship and Pro40 League in 2007 he was replaced by Ashley Giles.^[2] In January, 2010, Greatbatch was appointed the coach of the NewZealand national cricket team.^[3]

References

1. ^ Greatbatch to coach Warwickshire, retrieved 5 October 2007
2. ^ Giles succeeds Greatbatch at Warwickshire, retrieved 5 October 2007
3. ^ Greatbatch handed New Zealand team coaching role, retrieved 30 January 2010

External links

• Player profile: Mark Greatbatch from ESPNcricinfo

Persondata
Name	Greatbatch, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 11, 1963
Place of birth	Auckland
Date of death
Place of death