Mark Whitaker (cricketer)

Mark Robin Whitaker (born 20 September 1946) is a former English cricketer. Whitaker was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Whitaker made his first-class debut for Cambridge University against Surrey in 1965. He made 11 further first-class appearances for the university, the last of which came against Warwickshire in 1967.[1] A bowler, he took 20 wickets in his 12 first-class matches, which came at an average of 34.95.[2] He took a single five-wicket haul, taking 5/62 against Middlesex in 1965.[3]

In 1969, he made his only appearance for Norfolk in a List A match against Yorkshire in the Gillette Cup.[4] In this match, he bowled 7 wicket-less overs for the cost of 20 runs, while with the bat he ended Norfolk's innings unbeaten on 2.[5]

Playing for Cambridge University against New Zealand in 1965, he took three wickets in the first innings and two in the second – Bevan Congdon, Graham Dowling (twice) and John Reid (twice) – before becoming the first bowler in English cricket to be banned from bowling for running on the pitch.[6]