Martin Bicknell
Encyclopedia
Martin Paul Bicknell is a former English
cricket
er. He played only four Test match
es, but the last two, against South Africa
in 2003, came ten years after the first two in the 1993 Ashes
series. England had played 114 matches between his appearances, a record. He was considered most unlucky to be constantly overlooked for selection in home Test matches when constantly proving himself a prolific wicket taker in county cricket.
He was a very effective medium-fast swing
and seam
bowler who reached one thousand first-class wickets for his county, Surrey
, in 2005, having achieved the milestone in all first-class matches the previous year. In 2000 he had match figures of 16-119 for Surrey against Leicestershire
at Guildford
, the second best match figures ever returned for the county. His figures in the second innings were 9-47. His best innings figures were 9-45, against Cambridge University
at The Oval
in 1988.
He was also an increasingly useful tail-end batsman, verging on all-rounder
status, with three first-class centuries to his name and an average of 24.87.
His brother Darren Bicknell
was a sound county batsman formerly with Surrey and finishing his career with Nottinghamshire
.
Bicknell lives in Guildford and is married to Jacqui, and has two children, Eleanor and Charlotte.
Bicknell was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2001.
He made his first-class debut in 1986. Having initially intended to cease playing at the end of the 2006 season, he was struck by a series of niggling injuries which forced him to announce an earlier retirement from first-class cricket on 9 August 2006, moving on to take up a post at Charterhouse School
as the Master in Charge of Cricket.
His autobiography, Bickers. was published in 2008.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He played only four Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
es, but the last two, against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
in 2003, came ten years after the first two in the 1993 Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
series. England had played 114 matches between his appearances, a record. He was considered most unlucky to be constantly overlooked for selection in home Test matches when constantly proving himself a prolific wicket taker in county cricket.
He was a very effective medium-fast swing
Swing bowling
Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.-Physics of swing bowling:...
and seam
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
bowler who reached one thousand first-class wickets for his county, Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
, in 2005, having achieved the milestone in all first-class matches the previous year. In 2000 he had match figures of 16-119 for Surrey against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
at Guildford
Woodbridge Road
The Sports Ground, Woodbridge Road is a cricket ground in Guildford, Surrey. The ground was given to the town in trust in 1911 by Sir Harry Waechter, Bart. Guildford Cricket Club play their home matches on the ground. Surrey CCC play one County Championship match and one List A one-day match there...
, the second best match figures ever returned for the county. His figures in the second innings were 9-47. His best innings figures were 9-45, against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1988.
He was also an increasingly useful tail-end batsman, verging on all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
status, with three first-class centuries to his name and an average of 24.87.
His brother Darren Bicknell
Darren Bicknell
Darren John Bicknell is an English former cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm bowler.Born in Guildford, Darren is the brother of former England seam bowler Martin Bicknell. However, he struggled to have similar international impact in the 1990s, the selectors instead...
was a sound county batsman formerly with Surrey and finishing his career with Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
.
Bicknell lives in Guildford and is married to Jacqui, and has two children, Eleanor and Charlotte.
Bicknell was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2001.
He made his first-class debut in 1986. Having initially intended to cease playing at the end of the 2006 season, he was struck by a series of niggling injuries which forced him to announce an earlier retirement from first-class cricket on 9 August 2006, moving on to take up a post at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
as the Master in Charge of Cricket.
His autobiography, Bickers. was published in 2008.