Bill Athey
{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2010}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Bill Athey
| image =
| country = England
| fullname = Charles William Jeffrey Athey
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|9|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England
| heightft = 5
| heightinch = 11
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm medium
| role = Batsman
| international = true
| testdebutdate = 28 August
| testdebutyear = 1980
| testdebutagainst = Australia
| testcap = 487
| lasttestdate = 26 July
| lasttestyear = 1988
| lasttestagainst = West Indies
| odidebutdate = 20 August
| odidebutyear = 1980
| odidebutagainst = West Indies
| odicap = 56
| lastodidate = 16 March
| lastodiyear = 1988
| lastodiagainst = New Zealand
| club1 =
| year1 =
| clubnumber1 =
| club2 =
| year2 =
| clubnumber2 =
| club3 =
| year3 =
| clubnumber3 =
| club4 =
| year4 =
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|
| columns = 2
| column1 = Test
| matches1 = 23
| runs1 = 919
| bat avg1 = 22.97
| 100s/50s1 = 1/4
| top score1 = 123
| deliveries1 = 0
| wickets1 = –
| bowl avg1 = –
| fivefor1 = –
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = –
| catches/stumpings1 = 13/–
| column2 = ODI
| matches2 = 31
| runs2 = 848
| bat avg2 = 31.40
| 100s/50s2 = 2/4
| top score2 = 142*
| deliveries2 = 1
| wickets2 = 0
| bowl avg2 = –
| fivefor2 = –
| tenfor2 = –
| best bowling2 = –
| catches/stumpings2 = 16/–
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's Cricket}}
{{MedalCountry|{{cr|ENG}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|ICC Cricket World Cup}}
{{Medal|RU|1987 India and Pakistan|}}
| date = 12 September
| year = 2010
| source = http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/8581.html CricInfo
}}
Charles William Jeffrey Athey (born 27 September 1957) is a retired English first-class cricketer, who played for England, and first-class cricket for Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Sussex; he also played a solitary one-day game for Worcestershire. His bulldog spirit was exemplified by the Union Jack tattooed on his arm. He played in 23 Test matches between 1980 and 1988, but scored more than 50 runs only five times in 41 innings. In 1990, Athey joined the rebel tour to South Africa. He was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
Domestic career
He made his debut for his native Yorkshire in 1976, before moving to Gloucestershire in 1984.{{Cite book |last=Warner |first=David |title=The Yorkshire County Cricket Club: 2011 Yearbook |publisher=Great Northern Books |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-905080-85-4 |edition=113th |location=Ilkley, Yorkshire |page=362}} He captained the side in 1989, and scored four hundreds in successive innings while there. In 1993, he moved to Sussex, and passed the increasingly rare landmark of 25,000 first-class runs when he made an unbeaten century against Somerset in 1997.
At the end of that season he joined Worcestershire as coach, having 'retired' from playing, though in spite of his status he did play several times for the Second XI and once (in 1999) in a National League game. He left New Road at the end of 2000. He played 467 first-class matches and batted 784 times with 71 not outs. He scored 25,453 first-class runs, with a best of 184, at an average of 35.69, with 55 centuries and 126 fifties. He took 429 catches, and 2 stumpings on his rare ventures behind the stumps. In 459 List A one-day matches, he scored 13,240 runs, with a top score of 142 not out at an average of 33.86, scoring 12 centuries, 89 fifties, and taking 171 catches and one stumping. He also played Minor Counties cricket for Suffolk.
International career
He was a middle order batsman by inclination, but found greatest success at Test level as an opener. Selected for the 1986/87 tour of Australia as middle order cover, he ended up opening in all five Tests with Chris Broad. His top score was 96 in Perth. In the 1987 summer, he was initially meant to revert to the middle order, but an injury to Broad meant that he opened in the first Test with Tim Robinson. However, in the second Test he reverted to number three, and made his only Test hundred at Lord's.
He missed only one of twenty Test matches from 1986 to 1988.{{Cite book |last=Bateman |first=Colin |title=If The Cap Fits |publisher=Tony Williams Publications |year=1993 |isbn=1-869833-21-X |page=16}} Nevertheless, his 23 Test appearances were spread over eight years. He made his debut in the Centenary Test at Lord's in 1980, and eight years later appeared in the Bicentennial Test in Sydney, along with fellow survivors John Emburey and Mike Gatting.
Although never thought of as a one-day player, Athey hit two centuries in One Day Internationals, and top-scored for England before being run out in their Cricket World Cup final defeat against Australia at Calcutta in 1987. He was suspended for playing in South Africa in 1990, but the suspension was remitted two years later when South Africa rejoined the world game.
After cricket
Athey now works at Dulwich College school in South London, as the First XI Cricket Coach. He also takes the Second XI football team, and is house master of Old Blew, one of the four Dulwich College boarding houses.
Athey also played football and was on the books of Brentford Reserves in the early 1980s.{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia |date=1998 |publisher=Yore Publications |isbn=1 874427 57 7}} He also played football for Ringmer FC whiles playing cricket for Sussex in the 90's
Personal life
Politically, Athey is a Conservative, and once appeared on stage at a Conservative Party conference in the 1980s alongside England teammate John Emburey.{{cite web |date=30 October 2000 |title=SOL | Political football |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/998498.stm |access-date=27 October 2020 |work=BBC Sport }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{England Squad 1987 Cricket World Cup}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athey, Bill}}
Category:England Test cricketers
Category:England One Day International cricketers
Category:Gloucestershire cricket captains
Category:Gloucestershire cricketers
Category:Worcestershire cricketers
Category:Cricketers from Middlesbrough
Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
Category:D. H. Robins' XI cricketers
Category:Young England cricketers