25 Facts About Mark Butcher

Mark Alan Butcher was born on 23 August 1972 and is an English cricket commentator and former English Test cricketer, who played county cricket for Surrey from 1992 until his retirement in 2009.

Mark Butcher was a left-handed batsman, and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler who was capable of bowling off spin.

Mark Butcher went to Cumnor House School in Purley from the age of five to thirteen before moving to Trinity School in Croydon.

Mark Butcher first played for his school's U-11 side at the age of seven.

Mark Butcher was picked up by the Surrey U-11 side and was selected in Surrey's U-19 team.

Mark Butcher married Alec Stewart's sister Judy but the marriage did not last.

Mark Butcher dealt with various personal issues especially in 2000 following the break up of his marriage and his axing from the England side at the end of 2000.

Mark Butcher made his Test match debut in the first Test of the 1997 Ashes series at Edgbaston.

Mark Butcher opened the batting on his debut test but did not produce the kind of scores that he would have liked but England managed to win that match by nine wickets albeit off a double century from Nasser Hussain.

Mark Butcher captained England once, in a draw with New Zealand in 1999 when Nasser Hussain was injured.

Mark Butcher never appeared in a One Day International.

Mark Butcher played in 71 Tests, but as of April 2004 no other player in the ODI era had played in more than 30 Tests without playing in an ODI.

Mark Butcher enjoyed a reasonably good start to his Test career, hitting two half-centuries in five matches against a powerful Australian side.

Mark Butcher then struggled against the West Indies that winter, averaging just 15.

Mark Butcher subsequently lost his place in the Test side to Marcus Trescothick.

Mark Butcher was drafted into the Test side to play the Australians and strong showings throughout that series culminated in a superb innings of 173 not out at Headingley, as England successfully chased 315 to win.

Mark Butcher was the top runscorer for England in England's emphatic series win in Caribbean by smacking 296 runs in four matches.

Mark Butcher appeared in Sky Sports documentary titled You Guys Are History where he explores and examines why there is a massive decline in black cricketers in England since the turn of the century.

Mark Butcher was awarded Honorary Life Membership of Marylebone Cricket Club in January 2010.

In early 2008, Mark Butcher started recording his debut album, Songs from the Sun House.

Mark Butcher partnered Sarah Brightman on the second series of Just the Two of Us aired on BBC One in January 2007; they came third overall.

Mark Butcher was born to a Jamaican mother and an English father.

Mark Butcher attended Cumnor House Prep School, Trinity School and Archbishop Tenison's School in Croydon, and supports the local football team, Crystal Palace.

At one time during his playing career, Mark Butcher was married to former England and Surrey teammate Alec Stewart's sister Judy.

Surrey's former coach and player, Alan Mark Butcher, is his father, and his brother, Gary, played for Glamorgan and Surrey.