Mark Ramprakash

Biography

Mark Ramprakash is one of the finest batsmen Middlesex CCC has ever produced, and his record for the Club rightly places him alongside the likes of Patsy Hendron, Denis Compton, Mike Gatting and Desmond Haynes. Ramprakash’s career, contentiously, could be split in two. The contention being that he spent the second half of his career south of the River Thames with Surrey, Middlesex CCC’s greatest rivals. For Middlesex CCC the masterful and elegant right hander stuck 46 1stClass centuries, for Surrey 68.

Ramprakash was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire on 5 September 1969. He attended Gayton High School in Harrow – the same school as Angus Fraser – and represented Middlesex at every age group level, excelling all the way. It was therefore no surprise that he was contracted to the club before finishing his A levels and that he made his 1st XI debut at the age of just 17.

Ramprakash, who played club cricket for Bessborough CC and Stanmore CC, highlighted his potential nationally in 1988 when he scored an unbeaten fifty to guide Middlesex CCC to victory in a low scoring NatWest Trophy Final. He was awarded his county cap in 1990 and made his Test debut in 1991. Many believe, with the talent he possessed, he should have achieved more with England but he helped win silverware with Middlesex CCC, playing an important role in the Club winning two County Championships, a NatWest Trophy and the Sunday League title.

In total Ramprakash scored more than 22,500 runs for the Club, 15,046 of them coming in 1st Class cricket at an average of 50.48. In some ways his record in first-class cricket transcended his performances for England and he could be the last ever cricketer to score 100 first-class hundreds. His final tally of first-class hundreds – 114 – was, coincidentally, the same as Sir Vivian Richards, his childhood hero.

Ramprakash returned to Middlesex CCC in 2013 as the Club’s batting coach. He performed the role for two years before moving on to become England’s batting coach, a role he is fulfilling well.