Mark Ravin Ramprakash (born 5 September 1969) is an English former cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he initially made his name playing for Middlesex, and was selected for England aged 21. A gifted, and one of the heaviest-scoring, English batsman of his generation at county level, he rarely performed to his full potential during a long but intermittent international career. He became a particularly prolific run scorer when he moved to Surrey in 2001, averaging over 100 runs per innings in two successive seasons (2006 & 2007). He is one of only 25 players in the history of the sport to have scored 100 first-class centuries. In November 2012, he was announced as the batting coach for the England Lions in India. In January 2013 he was appointed as batting coach for Middlesex, on a two-year contract. In November 2014 he was appointed as England's batting coach. Early life and career Mark Ramprakash was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, and is of Indo-Guyanese and English descent. His father, born in British Guiana, was Indo-Guyanese and his mother was English. He attended Gayton High School (now Harrow High School), and then Harrow Weald Sixth Form College. His first local club was Bessborough Cricket Club in Headstone Lane, Harrow where he showed early promise as a fast bowler before concentrating on his batting. He played his first match for Middlesex aged just 17, scoring 63 not out against Yorkshire, and top-scoring with 71 in his second match against Essex at Chelmsford (he was still a sixth-form student at the time). He scored his maiden first-class century at Headingley against Yorkshire in 1989, and captained the England U-19 team. He came to national prominence when, at the age of 18, he won the man-of-the match award in the 1988 NatWest Trophy Final after his innings of 56 helped Middlesex beat Worcestershire. Ramprakash, a talented all-round sportsman at a young age, had to choose between playing football for Watford FC and continuing his playing career in cricket. His choice was made easier after Watford moved to London Colney training centre shared with Arsenal and after losing 7–0 he chose to continue with cricket. "Bloodaxe" During his early days as a professional cricketer, Ramprakash had a reputation as something of a mercurial and stormy character. Nicknamed "Bloodaxe" by Middlesex team-mates for his short temper, Ramprakash's younger days contrasted with the relaxed mellowness of his thirties. However, at