Mike Gatting, an aggressive right-handed batsman, right-arm bowler and fine fieldsman was born at Kingsbury, Middlesex in 1957 and he made his Middlesex debut in 1975 at 18 years of age and was capped at 20. Appointed captain in 1983 he led the county until part way through the 1996 season to three county championships. He amassed 30,114 runs with 96 centuries including a highest score of 258 versus Somerset at Bath in 1984. He has taken 154 wickets with a best performance of 5 for 34 versus Glamorgan at Swansea in 1982 and he has held 395 catches. His best season was 1984 when he accumulated 2,257 runs (av. 68.39). Representing England in 74 Tests, 23 as captain he scored 4,227 runs with 9 centuries including a top score of 207 versus India at Madras in 1984/85. He has toured abroad twelve times with various teams and his best tour was without doubt winning the Ashes and the Perth Challenge in Australia in 1986/87. He was awarded an OBE in 1987 for his services to cricket. He captained an unofficial rebel England tour to South Africa in 1989/90. Retiring from first-class cricket in 1998 his last match was against Derbyshire in the county championship. Since then he has been appointed the County Coach a post he held until the end of the 2000 season when he was replaced by former team mate John Emburey in 2001. He is currently engaged as the President of the Lord’s Taverners.
