Chris Bullen
Encyclopedia
Christopher Keith Bullen (born 5 November 1962) is a former English
cricket
er. Bullen was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off break
. He was born in Clapham
, London
and educated at Rutlish School
which he attended from 1976 to 1982. An all-rounder
, Bullen played for Surrey County Cricket Club
, Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
and the Surrey Cricket Board
in a career which spanned from 1982 to 2002.
debut for Surrey
against Oxford University
in 1982. He didn't play another first-class match for Surrey until 1985, when he appeared against Cambridge University
. Bullen played two Youth Test matches
in 1982 for England Under-19s against West Indies Under-19s, with both Tests coming in August of 1982, after his June debut for Surrey. His List A debut for Surrey also came in 1985, against Sussex
in the 1985 John Player Special League
. During the course of his career with Surrey, Bullen was viewed by the county as predominantly a limited-overs player: he made 104 List A appearances, as opposed to just 30 first-class appearances. Playing for Surrey until the end of the 1991 season
, Bullen scored 667 runs in limited-overs cricket, at a batting average
of 23.00. He made a single half century, which was to be the highest score of his List A career, scoring an unbeaten
93 against Wiltshire
in the 1990 NatWest Trophy
. He took 92 wickets at a bowling average
of 34.22, with best figures of 5/31; his only five wicket haul in limited-overs cricket, which came against Yorkshire
in the 1989 Refuge Assurance League
. Bullen had his best seasons with the ball in List A cricket in the 1987
, 1988
and 1989 season's
, taking 20 more wickets in each. Despite not being a regular in first-class cricket for Surrey, Bullen nonetheless had some success when he did play. A competent all-rounder
, he scored 663 runs in his 30 first-class matches for the county, coming at an average of 23.67. He made 4 half centuries, with a high score of 65 against the touring Pakistanis in 1987. He took 38 wickets in first-class cricket, at an average of 28.36, which was a better average than his List A wickets came at. He took just one five wicket haul in first-class matches, which came against Middlesex
, with figures of 6/119.
However, 1989 saw Bullen play just two County Championship
fixtures. In the following season
he didn't make any first-class appearances, while in List A cricket he made 22 appearances, but struggled to make an impact. His 14 wickets that season came at an expensive average of 52.64. He made limited appearances in the 1991 English cricket season
, with Surrey releasing him at the end of that season.
for the 1992 season
, making his debut for the county in the Minor Counties Championship against Lincolnshire
. Bullen played Minor counties cricket for Bedfordshire from 1992 to 1997, making 51 Minor Counties Championship appearances and 14 MCCA Knockout Trophy
appearances. He made his first appearance for Bedfordshire in List A cricket against Warwickshire
in the 1994 NatWest Trophy
. He made one further appearance for the county in limited-overs cricket, against Glamorgan
in the 1997 NatWest Trophy
. He took 3 wickets for Bedfordshire in these 2 games, although all 3 wickets came against Warwickshire, with Bullen claiming figures of 3/58 from 10 overs
. While playing for Bedfordshire, he made one final first-class appearance for the Minor Counties cricket team against the touring South Africans. In this match, he bowled 4 wicket-less overs in the South Africans first-innings, while in their second innings he took the wickets of Daryll Cullinan and Gerhardus Liebenberg
for the cost of 42 runs from 8.4 overs. With the bat, he didn't bat in the Minor Counties first-innings, while in their second-innings he was dismissed for 2 runs by Pat Symcox
. Bullen left Bedfordshire at the end of the 1997 season
. He played for the Surrey Cricket Board
in the 1998 MCCA Knockout Trophy, while in the 1999 season
he made his first appearance in List A cricket for the Board in the 1999 NatWest Trophy
against Norfolk
. Bullen appeared in a further 5 List A matches for the Board, the last coming against Lincolnshire
in the 2nd round of the 2002 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
, which was played in 2001. He scored 103 runs for the Board in the 6 matches, coming at an average of 25.75, with a high score of 36. With the ball, he took 7 wickets at 31.57 a piece, with best figures of 2/16. Bullen was an able fielder during his career, taking a total of 65 catches in limited-overs cricket.
Bullen currently works for Surrey County Cricket Club as a Cricket Development Manager. His cousin, David Roberts
, played first-class and List A cricket.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. Bullen was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
. He was born in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and educated at Rutlish School
Rutlish School
Rutlish School is a comprehensive school for boys. It is on Watery Lane, Merton Park, south-west London. It was formerly a grammar school.It is noted for caning its most famous alumnus politician, British Prime Minister Sir John Major in its grammar school period.-History:The school is named after...
which he attended from 1976 to 1982. An all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, Bullen played for Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
, Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
and the Surrey Cricket Board
Surrey Cricket Board
The Surrey Cricket Board is the governing body for all recreational cricket in the historic county of Surrey.From 1999 to 2003 the Board fielded a team in the English domestic one-day tournament, matches which had List-A status.-External links:*...
in a career which spanned from 1982 to 2002.
Surrey
Bullen made his first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut for Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
in 1982. He didn't play another first-class match for Surrey until 1985, when he appeared against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
. Bullen played two Youth Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in 1982 for England Under-19s against West Indies Under-19s, with both Tests coming in August of 1982, after his June debut for Surrey. His List A debut for Surrey also came in 1985, against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
in the 1985 John Player Special League
1985 John Player Special League
The 1985 John Player Special League was the seventeenth competing of what was generally known as the Sunday League. The competition was won for the third time by Essex County Cricket Club.-Standings:...
. During the course of his career with Surrey, Bullen was viewed by the county as predominantly a limited-overs player: he made 104 List A appearances, as opposed to just 30 first-class appearances. Playing for Surrey until the end of the 1991 season
1991 English cricket season
The 1991 English cricket season was notable for some outstanding fast bowling performances by Messrs Ambrose, Donald and Waqar.-Honours:*County Championship - Essex*NatWest Trophy - Hampshire*Sunday League - Nottinghamshire...
, Bullen scored 667 runs in limited-overs cricket, at a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 23.00. He made a single half century, which was to be the highest score of his List A career, scoring an unbeaten
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
93 against Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in the 1990 NatWest Trophy
1990 NatWest Trophy
The 1990 NatWest Trophy was the 10th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 27 June and 1 September 1990...
. He took 92 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 34.22, with best figures of 5/31; his only five wicket haul in limited-overs cricket, which came against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in the 1989 Refuge Assurance League
1989 Refuge Assurance League
The 1989 Refuge Assurance League was the twenty-first competing of what was generally known as the Sunday League. The competition was won for the third time by Lancashire County Cricket Club.-Standings:-Refuge Assurance Cup:...
. Bullen had his best seasons with the ball in List A cricket in the 1987
1987 English cricket season
In the 1987 English cricket season Nottinghamshire pulled off the Championship and NatWest Trophy "double"-Honours:*County Championship - Nottinghamshire*NatWest Trophy - Nottinghamshire*Sunday League - Worcestershire...
, 1988
1989 English cricket season
The 1989 English cricket season saw the re-emergence of Australia as a world-class team after it had struggled for most of the previous 12 years. Under the leadership of Allan Border, a very fine team had been forged that included Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, David Boon and Merv Hughes...
and 1989 season's
1989 English cricket season
The 1989 English cricket season saw the re-emergence of Australia as a world-class team after it had struggled for most of the previous 12 years. Under the leadership of Allan Border, a very fine team had been forged that included Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, David Boon and Merv Hughes...
, taking 20 more wickets in each. Despite not being a regular in first-class cricket for Surrey, Bullen nonetheless had some success when he did play. A competent all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, he scored 663 runs in his 30 first-class matches for the county, coming at an average of 23.67. He made 4 half centuries, with a high score of 65 against the touring Pakistanis in 1987. He took 38 wickets in first-class cricket, at an average of 28.36, which was a better average than his List A wickets came at. He took just one five wicket haul in first-class matches, which came against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
, with figures of 6/119.
However, 1989 saw Bullen play just two County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
fixtures. In the following season
1990 English cricket season
The 1990 English season was one of the most batsmen-friendly summers in living memory. The size of the seam on the cricket ball had been reduced markedly from 1989, and along with dry conditions and the extension of four-day cricket this allowed batsmen to build huge scores: Graham Gooch became one...
he didn't make any first-class appearances, while in List A cricket he made 22 appearances, but struggled to make an impact. His 14 wickets that season came at an expensive average of 52.64. He made limited appearances in the 1991 English cricket season
1991 English cricket season
The 1991 English cricket season was notable for some outstanding fast bowling performances by Messrs Ambrose, Donald and Waqar.-Honours:*County Championship - Essex*NatWest Trophy - Hampshire*Sunday League - Nottinghamshire...
, with Surrey releasing him at the end of that season.
Later career
Bullen joined BedfordshireBedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
for the 1992 season
1992 English cricket season
-Honours:*County Championship - Essex*NatWest Trophy - Northamptonshire*Sunday League - Middlesex*Benson & Hedges Cup -*Minor Counties Championship - Staffordshire*MCCA Knockout Trophy - Devon...
, making his debut for the county in the Minor Counties Championship against Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs, which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Lincolnshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. Bullen played Minor counties cricket for Bedfordshire from 1992 to 1997, making 51 Minor Counties Championship appearances and 14 MCCA Knockout Trophy
MCCA Knockout Trophy
The Minor Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the Minor Counties in English cricket...
appearances. He made his first appearance for Bedfordshire in List A cricket against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
in the 1994 NatWest Trophy
1994 NatWest Trophy
The 1994 NatWest Trophy was the 14th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 21 June and 3 September 1994...
. He made one further appearance for the county in limited-overs cricket, against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in the 1997 NatWest Trophy
1997 NatWest Trophy
The 1997 NatWest Trophy was the 17th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 24 June and 7 September 1997...
. He took 3 wickets for Bedfordshire in these 2 games, although all 3 wickets came against Warwickshire, with Bullen claiming figures of 3/58 from 10 overs
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
. While playing for Bedfordshire, he made one final first-class appearance for the Minor Counties cricket team against the touring South Africans. In this match, he bowled 4 wicket-less overs in the South Africans first-innings, while in their second innings he took the wickets of Daryll Cullinan and Gerhardus Liebenberg
Gerhardus Liebenberg
Gerhardus Frederick Johannes Liebenberg is a South African cricketer who played in five Tests and four ODIs from 1995 to 1998.-References:...
for the cost of 42 runs from 8.4 overs. With the bat, he didn't bat in the Minor Counties first-innings, while in their second-innings he was dismissed for 2 runs by Pat Symcox
Pat Symcox
Patrick Leonard Symcox played 20 Tests and 80 One Day Internationals for South Africa in the 1990s and played provincial cricket for the Natal Dolphins in Durban....
. Bullen left Bedfordshire at the end of the 1997 season
1997 English cricket season
The 1997 English cricket season centred on the six Test Ashes series against Australia. England won the first, at Edgbaston, by the decisive margin of nine wickets, and the rain-affected second Test at Lord's was drawn, but any English optimism was short-lived...
. He played for the Surrey Cricket Board
Surrey Cricket Board
The Surrey Cricket Board is the governing body for all recreational cricket in the historic county of Surrey.From 1999 to 2003 the Board fielded a team in the English domestic one-day tournament, matches which had List-A status.-External links:*...
in the 1998 MCCA Knockout Trophy, while in the 1999 season
1999 English cricket season
The 1999 English cricket season saw the Sunday League changed to a new format National League with games played midweek under floodlight.-Honours:*County Championship - Surrey*NatWest Trophy - Gloucestershire*National League - Lancashire...
he made his first appearance in List A cricket for the Board in the 1999 NatWest Trophy
1999 NatWest Trophy
The 1999 NatWest Trophy was the 19th NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 4 May and 29 August 1999...
against Norfolk
Norfolk County Cricket Club
Norfolk County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Norfolk and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. Bullen appeared in a further 5 List A matches for the Board, the last coming against Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club
Lincolnshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs, which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Lincolnshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the 2nd round of the 2002 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
2002 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
The 2002 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy was the 2nd Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy following its change of name from the NatWest Trophy. It was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 29 August 2001 and 31 August 2002...
, which was played in 2001. He scored 103 runs for the Board in the 6 matches, coming at an average of 25.75, with a high score of 36. With the ball, he took 7 wickets at 31.57 a piece, with best figures of 2/16. Bullen was an able fielder during his career, taking a total of 65 catches in limited-overs cricket.
Bullen currently works for Surrey County Cricket Club as a Cricket Development Manager. His cousin, David Roberts
David Roberts (cricketer)
David James Roberts is an English cricketer. Roberts is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium pace. He was born at Truro, Cornwall....
, played first-class and List A cricket.
External links
- Chris Bullen at ESPNcricinfo
- Chris Bullen at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...