Editing Mike Procter (section)

==Playing career==

===International career===

The ban on South Africa restricted his Test career to seven test match appearances, all against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] between 1967 and 1970. He took 41 Test [[Wicket (cricket)|wickets]] at an average of 15.02, and  with [[Barry Richards (cricketer)|Barry Richards]] and [[Graeme Pollock]] helped South Africa to two successive series wins over Australia by margins of [[Australian cricket team in South Africa in 1966–67|3–1]] and [[Australian cricket team in South Africa in 1969–70|4–0]].<ref name="Obit"/><ref name="ESPNcricinfo-2">{{cite web |title=When they were kings |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/when-they-were-kings-231051 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>

Procter played for the [[Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970|Rest of the World versus England in 1970]], and took 15 wickets at an average of 23.93 in five test-format matches.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?class=4;id=2587;type=tour |title=Rest of the World XI tour of England 1970 – Most Wickets |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=18 February 2024}}</ref>

In 1978–79, towards the end of his playing career, he played for the World XI in [[Kerry Packer]]'s [[World Series Cricket]] in Australia. In the four "Supertests" in which he played he averaged 30.33 with the bat and 16.07 with the ball.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/trophy/batting-highest-career-batting-average/world-series-cricket-supertests-100 |title=Records in World Series Cricket Supertests – Batting Highest Career Batting Average |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |access-date=18 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/trophy/bowling-best-career-bowling-average/world-series-cricket-supertests-100 |title=Records in World Series Cricket Supertests – Bowling Best Career Bowling Average |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |access-date=18 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mukherjee |first=Abhishek |date=25 November 2015 |title=Time to include Kerry Packer's WSC SuperTest records in Test cricket as well |url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/time-to-include-kerry-packers-wsc-supertest-records-in-test-cricket-as-well-358709 |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Cricket Country |language=en-US}}</ref> He featured in the first semi-final for World XI side and he shared the new ball with the likes of [[Imran Khan]] and [[John Snow (cricketer)|John Snow]]. He clean bowled West Indian veteran [[Viv Richards]] with an unplayable delivery which he delivered from over the wicket. <ref>{{cite web |last=on |first=Video published |date=18 February 2024 |title=Watch: Procter sends Richards packing |url=https://www.sacricketmag.com/watch-procter-sends-richards-packing/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=SA Cricketmag |language=en-US}}</ref> The delivery he bowled to Richards castled the middle stump out of the ground and it became a talking point at the time given the characteristic swagger of Richards.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mukherjee |first=Abhishek |date=19 February 2024 |title=Watch: Mike Procter Knocks Middle Stump Out Of The Ground To Dismiss Viv Richards In World Series Cricket |url=https://wisden.com/stories/historical/watch-mike-procter-knocks-middle-stump-out-of-the-ground-to-dismiss-viv-richards-world-series-cricket |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=Wisden |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Procter also captained the Springbok team that played in three "tests" and three "one day internationals" against an [[English rebel XI]], led by [[Graham Gooch]], that toured South Africa in 1982.<ref name="rebel">{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19810324.2.158 |title=Lamb named in S.A. 'test' team |work=[[The Press]] |date=24 March 1981 |page=38}}</ref> He revealed that he once came close to qualifying to play for the England national team in 1980, but his body was tired by the time such news apparently began to spread. However, he insisted that his callup to join England was merely speculation and was more of a ploy to allow Gloucestershire to sign another overseas player.<ref name="ESPNcricinfo" />

===South African domestic cricket===

Procter is the only man to twice make over 500 runs and take 50 wickets in a domestic South African season, in 1971–72 and 1972–73, when he took a then record 59 wickets in eight Currie Cup games. In 1970, he scored six successive first-class centuries for [[Rhodesia cricket team|Rhodesia]].<ref name="six">{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/149199.html |title=An Australian menace |access-date=7 March 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo|date=4 March 2007}}</ref> He reached his record sixth successive century in first-class cricket playing for Rhodesia against [[Western Province cricket team|Western Province]] in 1971 and his century came at a vital time especially when Rhodesia was reeling at 5–2.<ref name="Gede-2020" /> He became only the third batsman in the world to score six first-class centuries in six consecutive innings after C. B. Fry and Don Bradman and the only South African to do so.<ref name="ESPNcricinfo-3">{{cite web |title=The lost diamond |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-lost-diamond-281289 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> He capitalized on a costly drop catch by Western Province captain [[Andre Bruyns]], who was on slip, when Procter had only scored two runs, and went on to make the most of the dropped chance by scoring 254 runs, which also turned out to be his highest-first-class score. Rhodesia went onto win that match by seven wickets.<ref name="Gede-2020">{{cite web |last=Andrews |first=Crispin |date=22 September 2020 |title=Mike Procter: His 10 Defining Moments, In His Own Words |url=https://www.wisden.com/cricket-features/mike-procter-picks-his-top-ten-moments |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=Wisden |language=en-GB}}</ref> 

He played for and captained South Africa in one [[South African rebel tours|unofficial "Test"]].<ref name="rebel" />

===Proctershire===

Procter played [[county cricket]] for 13 years as an overseas player for [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] and led them to great success.<ref name="Obit"/><ref>{{cite web |title=An evening with Mike Procter – Monday 4 July {{!}} News {{!}} Gloucestershire Cricket |url=https://www.gloscricket.co.uk/news/an-evening-with-mike-procter-monday-4-july/ |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=www.gloscricket.co.uk}}</ref> The team was occasionally referred to in jest as "Proctershire".<ref>{{cite web |title=Mike Procter: Greatness in obscurity |website=CricketMash |date=14 September 2020 |url=http://cricmash.com/biographies/mike-procter-greatness-in-obscurity |access-date=17 February 2024}}</ref> His chest-on pace bowling lifted Gloucestershire to second in 1969 as he contributed more than 100 wickets for the club in the same season.<ref name="Obit" /> Four centuries followed in 1971, the last lifting them from 28 for three to a target of 201 in just over two hours against Yorkshire.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mike Procter: A supreme all-rounder who enjoyed the shortest of stints on the world stage |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/report-mike-procter-a-supreme-all-rounder-who-enjoyed-the-shortest-of-stints-on-the-world-stage-1889178 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=DNA India}}</ref> Procter scored 109 not out in Gloucestershire's 135/3 in the 1972 [[National League (cricket)|John Player League]] – the lowest team total in [[List A cricket]] to include a century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lowest Innings Totals to Include a Century |url=http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Records/ListA/Overall/Small_Totals_With_Century.html |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=22 September 2010}}</ref> He destroyed Worcestershire single-handedly in 1977, scoring a century before lunch and taking 13 wickets for 73 runs.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mustafi |first=Suvajit |date=15 September 2015 |title=Mike Procter: 19 facts about the world-class all-rounder who too became a victim of apartheid |url=https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/mike-procter-19-facts-about-the-world-class-all-rounder-who-too-became-a-victim-of-apartheid-508298 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Cricket Country |language=en-US}}</ref> He scored another century before lunch in 1979, against Leicestershire, winning the [[Walter Lawrence Trophy]] for the season's fastest century, and then ripped through their batsmen with a [[Hat-trick (cricket)|hat-trick]]. In the next game against Yorkshire he took another hat-trick, all leg-before-wicket.<ref name="Wisden-2019">{{cite web |date=15 September 2019 |title=Mike Procter: A real personality and a gifted performer – Almanack |url=https://www.wisden.com/wisden-cricketers-almanack/mike-procter-almanack-tribute |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=Wisden}}</ref> In August 1979, he also famously smashed six successive sixes off the bowling of Somerset's [[Dennis Breakwell]], albeit not in the same over.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kemp comes close to equalling six-hit record |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/kemp-comes-close-to-equalling-six-hit-record-98812 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref name="Mukherjee-2013" />

He captained Gloucestershire with distinction from 1977 to 1981, and was popular with teammates and supporters. He was the [[Professional Cricketers' Association Player of the Year]] in 1970 and 1977, and won the [[Cricket Society]] Wetherall Award for the Leading All-Rounder in English First-Class Cricket in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mike Procter – Caught In The Middle |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/boksburg-advertiser/mike-procter-caught-middle/ |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Boksburg Advertiser |language=en-US}}</ref> Mike Procter also produced a spell for the ages by grabbing everyone's attention capturing 4 wickets in 5 balls playing for Gloucestershire against Hampshire in a crucial semi-final match during the 1977 Benson and Hedges Cup.<ref>{{citation |title=Mike Procter 4 Wickets in 5 Balls 1977! | date=12 February 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GVYtBU-N-8 |access-date=18 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mike Procter, runaway dream |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mike-procter-runaway-dream-1421752 |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> He ripped through the top order of Hampshire's batting lineup which also included the prized scalps of his fellow South African [[Barry Richards]] and West Indian opener [[Gordon Greenidge]].<ref name="Obit" /><ref name="Cricinfo-2">{{cite web |title='I got more wickets through swing than bowling quick' |url=https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1053267/-i-got-more-wickets-through-swing-than-bowling-quick |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Cricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=on |first=Video published |date=18 February 2024 |title=Watch: Procter sends Richards packing |url=https://www.sacricketmag.com/watch-procter-sends-richards-packing/ |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=SA Cricketmag |language=en-US}}</ref>

As captain, he led Gloucestershire to the [[Benson & Hedges Cup]] in 1977, as director of coaching he guided [[Northamptonshire CCC]] to victory in the 1989–90 NatWest Trophy final,<ref name="ESPNcricinfo-3" /> and in 1994, he was coach as [[Kepler Wessels]]' South African team defeated England at Lord's by 356 runs.<ref name="ESPNcricinfo-3" /> As a player Procter had beaten England there in 1970 with the [[Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970|Rest of the World XI]] and won the [[Friends Provident Trophy|Gillette Cup]] for Gloucestershire in 1973, scoring 94 and taking two wickets against Sussex.<ref name="Wisden-2019" />

{{Best Test career bowling averages}}

"I never really bothered much about averages, I was more concerned with how the team did, so to never lose a big game at Lord's was a highlight, plus there was winning all the Super Tests in Australia during [[World Series Cricket]] and all those [[Sunfoil Series|Currie Cup]]s with Natal", Procter told [[Cricinfo]]. "And, of course, winning all those Test matches in South Africa against the Aussies."<ref name="ESPNcricinfo-3" /><ref name="ESPNcricinfo-2" />

===Style===

As a [[Bowling (cricket)|bowler]], Procter had an awkward chest-on action, seeming to bowl off the wrong foot (though not actually doing so) at the end of an intimidating run.<ref name="Obit"/><ref name="ESPNcricinfo" /><ref name="Nicholson 2019 d603">{{cite web |last=Nicholson |first=John |title=From Procter to Malinga: A celebration of weird bowling actions |website=Cricket365 |date=30 January 2019 |url=https://www.cricket365.com/john-nicholson/from-procter-malinga-celebration-weird-bowling-actions |access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref> His unusual action generated late inswing that, in the right conditions, could at times be unplayable. He bowled at high pace in his prime but later in his career knee problems caused by the impact of his bull-like body on the bowling crease forced him to turn to off-spin, which he mastered.  <ref name="BBC Sport" /> He had a fearsome bouncer in his repertoire and he also possessed the skill of swinging the ball late.<ref name="ESPNcricinfo-3" /> 

His muscular batting in the middle order was famed for its power, although based on a sound defence. He was described by Wisden as "One of the rare cricketers who could have found a place in any test team as either a batsman or bowler and who could win a game single-handed with bat or ball in his hand".<ref name="Wisden-2019" />