Editing Mike Procter (section)

===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" />