| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Neville Atkinson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 February 1969 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicket-keeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–2000 | Tasmania | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First-class debut | 9 February 1992 Tasmania v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last First-class | 9 March 2000 Tasmania v Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| List A debut | 24 October 1992 Tasmania v South Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last List A | 12 February 2000 Tasmania v Western Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 21 September 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mark Neville Atkinson (born 11 February 1969, in Sydney, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricket player, who played for Tasmania. He played for the Tigers from 1990 until 2000, and was a regular feature in both their first class and one-day sides.
Mark Atkinson is a current cricket coach and former first-class player, representing Tasmania, the Prime Ministers XI and Australia 'A' teams in a successful 10-year career throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Atkinson was a cornerstone player in an excellent era for Tasmanian and Australian cricket, serving as the Tigers' wicketkeeper-batsman throughout. In a team that featured record-breaking players like Ricky Ponting, Colin Miller, Dene Hills, Jamie Cox and Michael DiVenuto, Atkinson's first-class record rendered him unlucky not to receive full Test honours. Nevertheless, Atkinson carved a fine reputation as an outstanding gloveman and consistent batsman and went on to play in multiple Sheffield Shield finals. He currently holds the record for the most dismissals by a Tasmanian wicketkeeper.
Through both playing and now coaching, Atkinson's involvement in cricket spans from grassroots through to the elite level. Today, he is founder and Managing Director of Elite Cricket, a cricket coaching venture that services players of all skill-levels in Sydney and its surrounds. His insight and coaching methods have seen him sought out for private sessions with current and former Test cricketers and professionals alike.