Mark Greatbatch

A beefy and charismatic left-hander, Mark Greatbatch was a solid batsman at Test level but in limited-overs cricket he could be a different character and was one of the first one-day pinch hitters. He learnt his trade in the leagues of New Zealand and England, and ground out an unusually dogged hundred on his Test debut against England in 1987-88, and again at Perth in 1989-90, when he staved off what looked to be certain Australian victory, making an unbeaten 146. He started the 1990 tour of England with hundreds in successive one-day internationals, but his form thereafter was patchy. At the 1992 World Cup he was left out of New Zealand's opening two matches, but thereafter was instrumental in their success and ended with 313 runs at 44.71. He followed with another Test hundred against Pakistan, but a loss of form, especially against the short ball, and a new national captain-coach team led to him being sidelined. A fine fielder, he took some spectacular catches, usually in the slips. On retiring in 1998, he became Central Districts' coaching director and then coach, but at the end of 2003-04 he quit New Zealand, frustrated with salaries and opportunities, and took over as coach of Giggleswick School in Yorkshire. In 2005 he moved to Warwickshire to head up their academy, and at the end of the summer was appointed as county coach on a three-year contract. Greatbatch did not complete his term with the club, and after leaving in 2007 he was appointed as an advisor to New Zealand's selection panel. That role, and a mini crisis after Andy Moles abruptly departed from the head coach's role in late 2008, saw Greatbatch take over in January 2010.
Cricinfo staff January 2010