Mark Ramprakash appointed Middlesex Batting Coach

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  19 December 2012

  Middlesex CCC are delighted to announce that Mark Ramprakash has accepted a two year offer to return to the Club as its batting coach. The deal means that Ramprakash will oversee the development of Middlesex’s batsmen until at least the end of the 2014 English Domestic Cricket Season.

  Ramprakash replaces Mark O’Neill who, after three successful years as Middlesex’s batting coach, has chosen to remain at home in Australia. Under O’Neill’s guidance Middlesex’s batsmen made significant strides, with the club securing more LV=CC batting bonus points than any other county in 2011 and being second behind Warwickshire in LV=CC Division One in 2012.

  Ramprakash is undoubtedly one of the finest batsmen Middlesex CCC has ever produced. In total the former Middlesex and Surrey batsman amassed more than 50,000 runs in all forms of the game. In first-class cricket he scored 35,659 runs at an average of 53.14. Ramprakash is the last batsman to score 100 first-class hundreds, finishing with 114 in total, a figure that places him joint 15^th – level with Sir Vivian Richards – in the all-time list of century makers. Two of these hundreds, against West Indies in Barbados and Australia at The Oval, came during a Test career that spanned 52 Tests.

  As a youngster Ramprakash represented Middlesex at all age group levels before making his 1^st XI debut against Yorkshire at Lord’s in 1987 at the age of 17. In the next 13 summers he scored more than 1,000 first-class runs in a season 10 times, his best year being 1995 when he amassed 2,258 runs at an average of 77.86.

  During his time with Middlesex he scored more than 15,000 first-class runs at an average of more the 50, including 46 hundreds. Only six players have scored more hundreds for Middlesex. He captained the club between 1997 and 1999.

  Ramprakash left Middlesex to join Surrey at the end of the 2000 season and his performances south of the river were even more exceptional than those at Lord’s. In 12 summers at the Oval he passed 1,000 first-class runs 10 times. On two occasions he scored more than 2,000 runs at an average of more than 100.

  In total Ramprakash scored 1,000 or more runs in an English Domestic season on 20 occasions. Twelve of these landmarks were passed in consecutive seasons between 1999 and 2010.

  Ramprakash retired from cricket midway through the 2012 season and has since signed a two year consultancy agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board as a batting coach.

  Commenting on Ramprakash’s return Middlesex CCC’s Chief Executive, Vinny Codrington, said:

  “The Executive Board and I are delighted to welcome Mark back to the club. Many of us were present during his first spell at the club and we know that his dedication and enthusiasm will greatly assist us in achieving our goals on the field."

  Managing Director of Cricket, Angus Fraser, said:

  “I am thrilled to have Mark back at Middlesex CCC. It is my job to provide Middlesex’s cricketers with the best possible coaching, support and advice available and in Mark Ramprakash they have that.

  “When we employed Mark O’Neill we set the bar high as far as batting coaching at Middlesex CCC goes. Mark O’Neill did a superb job for us and all our cricketers, young and more mature, benefitted enormously from working with him. Everyone at Middlesex CCC thanks Mark for his input during the past three years and we hope that he will stay involved with the Club in some capacity.

  “Mark Ramprakash will offer our batsmen something different. His record speaks for itself, and in the past 25 years there has not been a better batsman in county cricket. During 1,221 innings Mark has experienced almost everything it is possible for a batsman to experience and the knowledge that he can pass on to our cricketers is unsurpassable. As a professional cricketer his attention to detail and work ethic were second to none. Though naturally gifted it was not good fortune that allowed him to score more than 50,000 professional runs. A love of cricket, fierce desire and hard work were the cocktail of ingredients.

  “Mark moved from Middlesex to Surrey in 2000, but I never felt his heart left the club. He has always lived in the county and played cricket for Stanmore Cricket Club when commitments permitted.

  “It is Mark’s love of the art of batting that makes me believe he will become an outstanding coach. He loves talking batting and Middlesex’s cricketers have a huge resource to tap into. I believe he is the best man for the job and we are extremely fortunate to have a cricketer of his character and pedigree working at this club.”

  Commenting on his return to Middlesex CCC Mark Ramprakash said:

  “I am delighted to have been invited back to Middlesex CCC to take up a coaching role at the club. It is a club I grew up watching and where I had 14 enjoyable seasons as a player.

  “Middlesex is the club that gave me the chance to achieve what I have in cricket and I am delighted to be able to return to work with and help the current and next generation of Middlesex cricketers. I am excited by the talent in the current crop of players and look forward to contributing to the club.”

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