Mike Burton (cricketer)

Michael St John Whitehead Burton (born 14 February 1944) is a Zimbabwean former first-class cricketer.

Burton was born in February 1944 at Bulawayo, in what was then a part of Southern Rhodesia. He was educated at Umtali Boys' High School.[1] Burton was selected to represent a South African Schools XI in cricket, before gaining first-class experience with Eastern Province.[2] He debuted for Eastern Province against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club at Port Elizabeth in 1964. He played first-class cricket intermittently for Eastern Province until November 1967, making five appearances.[3] He took 7 wickets for Eastern Province with his off break bowling, in addition to scoring 102 runs.[4][5]

Burton went up to Mansfield College at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 1968. While studying at Oxford, he played first-class cricket for Oxford University, making his varsity debut against Lancashire at Oxford in 1969. He played first-class cricket for Oxford until 1971, making 31 appearances.[3] Burton took 70 wickets for Oxford at an average of 40.24. He took a five wicket haul on two occasions, with best figures of 5 for 96,[4] which came against Nottinghamshire in 1970.[6] As a batsman, he scored 719 runs at a batting average of 15.63 and with a high score of 84.[5] In addition to playing first-class cricket for Oxford, Burton also appeared in a single match for a combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities team against the touring West Indians in 1969.[3] He captained Oxford in 1969–70, the first Rhodes Scholar to do so.[7]