Mark Andrew Crawley, older brother of England test cricketer John, was born on 16 December 1967 at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, and educated at Oriel College, Oxford. He made his First-Class debut for Oxford University against Kent in 1987 and played for the Combined Universities team in the Benson & Hedges Cup. His university record of 1,189 runs, with eight half centuries, three centuries and a high score of 140, earned him a place in the Lancashire side against the touring Sir Lankans in 1990 but that was his only game for his home county.
He joined Nottinghamshire the following year, making his Notts debut, ironically, against his old University. From 1991 to 1994, he represented the county in 54 First-Class matches, the last of which came against Somerset in the 1994 County Championship, with a top score of 160no and four other centuries. His bowling was not, perhaps, effective enough to classify him as an all-rounder but his right-arm medium pace helped his captains manage their bowlers and chipped in with valuable wickets.
Crawley left Notts in 1994 and did not appear in the First-Class game again; in 1999, he re-appeared briefly to play for the Middlesex Cricket Board in the Minor Counties Trophy and an early round of the Nat West Trophy.
For Notts, he scored 2,047 runs in First-Class cricket at 28.04, with six half centuries and those five centuries; in the field he took 50 catches, while with the ball he took 37 wickets at an average of 38.18, with best figures of 3-18. In List-A games, he played 63 matches, scoring 1,093 runs at 26.02, with four half centuries and a high score of 94; he took 18 catches. With the ball he took 35 wickets at an average of 37.91, his best limited-overs return was 4-26.
A third brother, Peter, also played First-Class cricket, for Cambridge University, but did not turn professional.
May 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 514