Richard Ellison

Ellison did a teaching qualification at Exeter University, "because I didn't know what else to do – I never thought I'd use it ... I hadn't even planned to stay on in education past 16: I wanted to join the Royal Marines, but problems with my back prevented that."

At the end of the Ashes series, England captain David Gower made an assertion to the media that the West Indies would be "trembling in their boots". "This was doubtless meant as a tongue-in-cheek remark. But like Tony Greig's "grovelling" faux pas of a decade earlier, Gower did little but provoke West Indies' mean machine into a full frontal assault." The ensuing 5–0 defeat to West Indies on the 1985–86 tour had, according to William Buckland, a simple rationale:

In 2007, playing for Millfield, Ellison's son, Harry "returned figures of 7–5–7–5, against Sherborne". He is currently a first-class cricketer with Cambridge MCCU.

Ellison is master-in-charge of cricket at Millfield School. In 2001, Ellison spoke out as a believer that schools cricket "should be played in the first half of the winter term", because of the increasing impact of examinations, notably the advent of AS Levels in the lower sixth. He also teaches PE and is a housemaster for the boarders.

In 1990, Ellison was a member of the 'rebel' England team that toured South Africa in defiance of the international cricket boycott of the country, which was then under apartheid rule. "The ... tour was cut short after just nine matches because of protests from anti-apartheid demonstrators."

At his best in swinging English conditions, he lacked the raw pace to intimidate batsman under blue skies on tour in the West Indies that winter and his career suffered a further setback when a back injury forced him to miss the 1987 season. He took 71 wickets for Kent in 1988 but was overlooked by England. Ellison joined a 'rebel' tour to apartheid South Africa in 1990 and retired from cricket, aged 33, in 1993, to become Director of Cricket at Millfield School. He was a useful tail ender, good enough to record a first-class century and score 41 in a Test against Sri Lanka in 1984, and took 475 wickets in his 207 first-class games, including 35 Test scalps at under 30 apiece.

He played in the 1986 Benson & Hedges Cup final. His bowling figures of three for 27 helped restrict Middlesex to just 199 for seven. When Kent came to bat, Ellison's 29 was in vain, as Middlesex won by just two runs.

Ellison recalls "I had played in the winning tour to India of 1984–85 and bowled well, or so I thought. But I was injured for the early part of the 1985 season, which was incredibly frustrating. I knew that if fit, I could make a compelling case for my inclusion in the Ashes team." His determination to get back into the Test squad was not deterred by not being selected for the first three Tests, but he then had an opportunity to impress the then England captain, David Gower. Ellison's recollection is that "Kent, my county, were playing a game against Leicestershire in July and I approached [England captain] David Gower and said: 'I'm going to make you pick me.' I soon started to take wickets and was called into the squad for the fourth Test in Manchester." Ellison took 3–58 in the first-class match, including Gower's wicket in the only innings in which he bowled.

A burly, curly haired, right arm medium fast swing bowler, he made his debut for Kent in 1981 and took five wickets against the powerful 1984 West Indian side on his Test debut. As well "his distinctive mop of hair", Ellison "is best remembered for ... the fifth Test against Australia in 1985," when, recalled to the national side, he took four wickets for one run in the Australian second innings, thereby completing ten wickets for the match. He took seven more wickets as England wrapped up the series in the sixth Test and was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1986.

Ellison played for one English county during his entire career; he was Kent's 164th cap, and played for the team from 1981 to 1993. Ellison's first-class debut for Kent came in 1981, when he was just short of 22 years old. He scored 55 not out and 11 not out, batting at number 9 in the order and took the wicket of John Southern for 13 runs, in the five overs he was given in the match.

Richard Mark Ellison (born 21 September 1959) is an English former cricketer who played in 11 Tests and 14 One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 1984 to 1986, playing a key role in the 1985 Ashes series. He was born in Willesborough in Kent.