Born in Newark on 17 November 1960, Mark Fell was a right-handed batsman and slow-left arm spinner. He attended the Grove Comprehensive School in Balderton, Newark.
Having represented Notts at junior levels, Fell first appeared for Notts Seconds against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 1979; after 13 Second Championship games and five Warwick Pool Under 25 matches in 1979 and 1980 he was offered a place on the Notts staff for the 1981 season. In July of that year, he hit 109 v Leicestershire Seconds at Colston Bassett and made his first-team debut at New Road, Worcester in the John Player League, scoring 1 not out. He kept his place for the following two Sunday fixtures scoring 2 and 14 and taking one wicket.
Fell made his First-Class debut in May 1982, scoring 1 and 36 against a Hampshire attack containing Malcolm Marshall. He appeared in a further nine championship games that season, scoring 315 runs @17.50 and picked up his maiden - and what turned out to be his only - First-Class wicket, Clive Radley of Middlesex. The undoubted highlight of his season was his two innings of 40 and 108 against Essex at Trent Bridge in July which, according to the Daily Telegraph correspondent “established him as a player of rich promise and ideal temperament”. Fell impressed with his fielding throughout the season and won the uncapped player nof the season at the end of season awards. This promise could be seen in Fell’s 728 runs for Notts Seconds in 1982 including four hundreds. He also appeared in 14 limited-overs games for Notts, scoring 97 runs and taking six wickets.
However, this promise was not sustained in 1983 when Fell appeared in five First-Class and two List-A games with little success. His last first-team game was a Championship fixture at Dean Park, Bournemouth in July. Fell was released by Notts at the end of the season. In 15 First-Class appearances for Notts he had scored 408 runs @15.11. His List-A figures were 19 matches with 119 runs @9.15 and seven wickets @30.42.
In 1985 after impressing on trial for Derby Seconds and for Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties, he joined the Derbyshire playing staff on a short-term contract appearing in five First-Class fixtures and three List-A games during August and September but without any noteworthy performances.
Fell played for Lincolnshire CCC until 2007. He appeared in 149 Minor Championship matches scoring 8018 runs and taking 96. His runs tally is the second largest in Lincolnshire’s history. He is leading all-time run scorer for Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Trophy with 1,245 runs. He top scored with a List-A best of 77 for Lincolnshire in a Nat West 50-over tie at Lincoln Lindum in May 2003 when Notts beat Lincolnshire by four wickets, Paul Franks and Gareth Clough added an unbroken 70 for the seventh wicket to spare Notts’ blushes.
In all First-Class cricket, Fell scored 506 runs @14.45 in 20 games. In List-A competitions he appeared in 47 matches scoring 703 runs @18.50 and taking 21 wickets @30.61.
He became Director of Cricket for Lincolnshire in 2005, a post he still holds and in which he achieved much success both on the playing field and in developing players - Matt and Andy Carter being two obvious examples. He has also served as a Cricket Development Officer for the ECB and coached within the Notts Cricket Academy and with the England Under 17s and Under 19s.
He has played club cricket in Lincolnshire Premier League (Bracebridge Heath and Grantham), Bassetlaw League, Lancashire League, Yorkshire League, Bradford League & Durham County League. In 1987, he and his Bassetlaw and District Cricket League team-mates reached the final of the LCC President's Trophy, losing to Durham County League.
In 2004 he set up the Mark Fell Cricket Academy offering specialist coaching.
His elder brother Gerry Fell played in the Football League as a winger for Brighton & Hove Albion, Southend United, Torquay United and York City.
Mark Fell joined the Police in the early 1990s and whilst he did not remain in the Force for long, he did manage to turn out for them on the cricket field.
May 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 491