About Mark Mitchener

I've been following cricket since before I could do joined-up writing - and those who know my love for the game (or my indecipherable handwriting) would probably not be surprised to hear that.

Having been taken by my father to my first county game aged six (when Gordon Greenidge kindly marked the occasion with a century), I was swiftly hooked - and have spent much of the intervening period waiting for Hampshire to win the County Championship, which they haven't done since before I was born. I've also followed England to Australia and New Zealand as a supporter during the last two winters.

I've worked for the BBC since shortly after leaving university, and after a short spell at BBC Radio Solent, I've spent nearly a decade in London - initially for BBC Ceefax Sport, and subsequently for the BBC Sport website, where I frequently have to turn my hand to just about anything, although our cricket live text commentaries are always a pleasurable task.

I still play cricket for a team called Canford Cygnets, although my love of the game is matched only by my utter ineptness at playing it. Considering I bat like Chris Martin and field like Monty Panesar, I'm lucky still to get a game anywhere.