Martin Bicknell

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Martin Bicknell

| image = Cricket_no_pic.png

| country = England

| fullname = Martin Paul Bicknell

| nickname = Bickers

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|01|14|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Guildford, Surrey, England

| height = 193 cm

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium

| role = Bowler

| international = true

| testdebutdate = 22 July

| testdebutyear = 1993

| testdebutagainst = Australia

| testcap = 565

| lasttestdate = 8 September

| lasttestyear = 2003

| lasttestagainst = South Africa

| odidebutdate = 7 December

| odidebutyear = 1990

| odidebutagainst = New Zealand

| odicap = 110

| lastodidate = 13 February

| lastodiyear = 1991

| lastodiagainst = New Zealand

| columns = 4

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 4

| runs1 = 45

| bat avg1 = 6.42

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 15

| deliveries1 = 1,080

| wickets1 = 14

| bowl avg1 = 38.78

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 4/84

| catches/stumpings1 = 2/–

| column2 = ODI

| matches2 = 7

| runs2 = 96

| bat avg2 = 24.00

| 100s/50s2 = 0/0

| top score2 = 31*

| deliveries2 = 413

| wickets2 = 13

| bowl avg2 = 26.69

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 3/55

| catches/stumpings2 = 2/–

| column3 = FC

| matches3 = 292

| runs3 = 6,740

| bat avg3 = 24.87

| 100s/50s3 = 3/26

| top score3 = 141

| deliveries3 = 55,420

| wickets3 = 1,061

| bowl avg3 = 25.06

| fivefor3 = 44

| tenfor3 = 4

| best bowling3 = 9/45

| catches/stumpings3 = 103/–

| column4 = LA

| matches4 = 332

| runs4 = 1,589

| bat avg4 = 15.57

| 100s/50s4 = 0/2

| top score4 = 66*

| deliveries4 = 16,167

| wickets4 = 429

| bowl avg4 = 25.10

| fivefor4 = 3

| tenfor4 = 0

| best bowling4 = 7/30

| catches/stumpings4 = 78/–

| date = 1 January

| year = 2006

| source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/9089.html

}}

Martin Paul Bicknell (born 14 January 1969) is a former English cricketer. He played in four Test matches, with the last two, against South Africa in 2003, coming ten years after the first two in the 1993 Ashes series. England had played 114 matches between his appearances, a record.{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/cricket/sport/story/106140.html |title=The waiting game |work=ESPN |accessdate=14 January 2020}} He was considered most unlucky to be constantly overlooked for selection in home Test matches when constantly proving himself a prolific wicket taker in county cricket.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/149485.html |title=Just not cricket |work=ESPN Cricinfo |date=11 January 2008 |accessdate=14 January 2020}}

He was a very effective medium-fast swing and seam bowler who reached one thousand first-class wickets for his county, Surrey, in 2005, having achieved the milestone in all first-class matches the previous year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/photo/martin-bicknell-appeals-for-wicket-no-1000-175628|title=Martin Bicknell appeals for wicket No. 1000 | ESPNcricinfo.com|website=ESPNcricinfo}} In 2000 he had match figures of 16-119 for Surrey against Leicestershire at Guildford, the second best match figures ever returned for the county. His figures in the second innings were 9-47.{{Cite web|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/89125.html|title = Surrey storm to a sixth championship victory}} His best innings figures were 9-45, against Cambridge University at The Oval in 1988.

He was also an increasingly useful tail-end batsman, verging on all-rounder status, with three first-class centuries to his name and an average of 24.87.

His brother Darren Bicknell was a sound county batsman formerly with Surrey and finishing his career with Nottinghamshire.

Bicknell lives in Churt, Farnham, He is married to Sarah, and has four children: Ellie, Charlotte, Mia-May and Millie-Coco.

Bicknell was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2001.

He made his first-class debut in 1986. Having initially intended to cease playing at the end of the 2006 season, he was struck by a series of niggling injuries which forced him to announce an earlier retirement from first-class cricket on 9 August 2006,{{Cite web |url=http://www.surreycricket.com/news/surrey-cricket/martin-bicknell-retires-from-first-class-cricket,5286,NS.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928083421/http://www.surreycricket.com/news/surrey-cricket/martin-bicknell-retires-from-first-class-cricket,5286,NS.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead }} moving on to take up a post at Charterhouse School as the Master in Charge of Cricket.

His autobiography, Bickers. was published in 2008.[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1906229651 Entry for Bickers on Amazon]