Mark Ilott

Mark Christopher Ilott (born 27 August 1970) is a former English professional cricketer.[1]

Mark Ilott

Ilott in 2002
Personal information
Full name	Mark Christopher Ilott
Born	(1970-08-27) 27 August 1970 Watford, Hertfordshire, England
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Left-arm medium-fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	England
Test debut	1 July 1993 v Australia
Last Test	26 December 1995 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1988–2002	Essex
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA Matches 5 192 185 Runs scored 28 2,830 797 Batting average 7.00 14.66 12.07 100s/50s 0/0 0/4 0/2 Top score 15 60 56* Balls bowled 1,042 35,359 8,714 Wickets 12 633 232 Bowling average 45.16 27.70 26.39 5 wickets in innings 0 27 1 10 wickets in match 0 3 0 Best bowling 3/48 9/19 5/21 Catches/stumpings 0/– 54/– 31/–
Source: CricInfo, 7 August 2018

Having previously played with the minor county Hertfordshire, Ilott began his career with Essex in 1988. A left-arm swing bowler in the mould of John Lever, previously prolific with the county, Ilott took 64 wickets as Essex won the County Championship in 1992.[1] Ilott played his first Test in the third match of the 1993 Ashes, a match in which England gave debuts to four players (most notably Graham Thorpe). Ilott was part of a four-man contingent from Essex in the side at this point, alongside Graham Gooch, Nasser Hussain and Peter Such. Ilott took four wickets in the match,[2] but only four more in his next two Test matches. Although all England bowlers struggled at this time, none but Such taking more than his eight wickets in the series,[3] Ilott was subsequently left out of the side. Ilott had an impressive 1995 season with Essex, taking 78 wickets, including remarkable career best first-class figures of 10.1-2-19-9 against Northamptonshire (in a match that Essex still lost).[4] He was recalled to the England side for the tour to South Africa that winter, where Ilott took 3/48 in the third Test,[5] yet was injured in the fourth Test.[6]

Ilott took another fifty wickets in 1996. In 1997 he helped Essex to win the NatWest Trophy, although he was involved in what ESPNCricinfo calls "an unsavoury, but in truth pretty harmless, pushing and finger-wagging incident with Robert Croft" during the semi-final against Glamorgan.[1] He also helped Essex to win the 1998 Benson & Hedges Cup, Ilott taking 3/10 in 8 overs in the final against Leicestershire.[7] By now injuries were impeding Ilott and he was not recalled to play for England again.[1]He now teaches at St Albans School, St Albans.

Ilott enjoyed a 15 year first-class career with Essex. He was born at Watford in Hertfordshire and lives in Potters Bar. He studied at Francis Combe School and Community College.[8] Ilott's brother, Nigel played cricket for Hertfordshire.