Ричард Эллисон: Англиялық крикетшінің өмірі мен мансабы

Richard Mark Ellison (born 21 September 1959) is an English former cricketer who played in 11 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 1984 to 1986, playing a key role in the 1985 Ashes series. He was born in Willesborough in Kent. A burly, curly haired, right arm medium fast swing bowler, he made his debut for Kent in 1981 and took five wickets against the powerful 1984 West Indian side on his Test debut. As well "his distinctive mop of hair", Ellison "is best remembered for the fifth Test against Australia in 1985,"

Ellison's mother's "records of family cricketing achievements show that his great grandfather played against the Grace brothers in the nineteenth century and that his grandfather captained Derbyshire Second XI at the age of 60". Ellison's father, Peter, played cricket with him from the age of three and, aged just seven, Ellison took eight wickets for three runs for Friars Preparatory School, Ashford. Ellison's first class debut for Kent came in 1981, when he was just short of 22 years old. He scored 55 not out and 11 not out, batting at number 9 in the order and took the wicket of John Southern for 13 runs, in the five overs he was given in the match. He played in the 1986 Benson & Hedges Cup final. His bowling figures of three for 27 helped restrict Middlesex to just 199 for seven. The county had another near miss in 1988, falling just behind Worcestershire in the County Championship, Ellison taking 71 wickets in their campaign.

Ellison made his Test debut against the West Indies in 1984, playing the last match of a series in which England were heavily defeated. Ellison took 2 34 and 3 60 in the match. He also played the next Test against Sri Lanka, which ended in a draw, and although Ellison had less success with the ball, he made 41, which remained his highest Test score.

Ellison played in three tests on the tour of India that winter, taking all of his four Test wickets in the first innings of the surprising England victory at Delhi. He also made his one day international debut this winter in the series against India, also playing in the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket and the 1984–85 Four Nations Cup.

Ellison recalls "I had played in the winning tour to India of 1984–85 and bowled well, or so I thought. But I was injured for the early part of the 1985 season, which was incredibly frustrating. I knew that if fit, I could make a compelling case for my inclusion in the Ashes team." His determination to get back into the Test squad was not deterred by not being selected for the first three Tests, but he then had an opportunity to impress the then England captain, David Gower. Ellison's recollection is that "Kent, my county, were playing a game against Leicestershire in July and I approached [England captain] David Gower and said: 'I'm going to make you pick me.' I soon started to take wickets and was called into the squad for the fourth Test in Manchester." Ellison was recalled to the squad, but omitted from the XI for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, "fortunately", in his opinion: "I say fortunately because I never liked bowling at Old Trafford; it was more of a spinner's wicket." In the event, both Agnew and Allot were omitted from the next XI and Ellison was recalled for the fifth test. He remembers: "When we got to Edgbaston I was advised not to play by Bernard Thomas (England physio) as I had a heavy cold. He thought I would not get through five days. The decision was left to me and I thought, as I had come this far, then why not." Ellison took 6 77 and 4 27 in the fifth test and won the man of the match award. It would be the last time England would win a home Ashes series until 2005.

At the end of the Ashes series, England captain David Gower made an assertion to the media that the West Indies would be "trembling in their boots". "This was doubtless meant as a tongue in cheek remark. But like Tony Greig's "grovelling" faux pas of a decade earlier, Gower did little but provoke West Indies' mean machine into a full frontal assault. "</blockquote> Ellison's personal tally was 7 wickets at an average of 42.00. He took his last Test five wicket haul in the first test (figures of 5/78) and in the second was able to frustrate the West Indies bowlers with a last wicket partnership with Greg Thomas. But none of this had any effect on the outcome.

Ellison featured only in the first Test match of the series, taking a single wicket for 80 runs. He played for England for the last time in a one day international against New Zealand in 1986, taking 3 43 but finishing on the losing side. A much more successful Test bowler at home than away, his Test wickets cost only 19.37 in England, but 53.00 overseas.

Batting Bowling Opposition Matches Runs Average High Score 100 / 50 Runs Wickets Average Best (Inns) Australia 2 26 26.00 24 0 / 0 62 3 20.66 2/28 India 7 34 11.33 14* 0 / 0 258 3 86.00 1/45 New Zealand 1 12 12.00 12 0 / 0 43 3 14.33 3/43 Pakistan 2 15 4.50 6 0 / 0 60 3 20.00 3/42 West Indies 2 5 5.00 5 0 / 0 87 0 – – Overall 14 86 10.75 24 0 / 0 510 12 42.50 3/42