Mark O'Neill (cricketer)

Mark O'Neill
Personal information
Full name
Mark Dorian O'Neill
Born (1959-03-05) 5 March 1959 (age 65)
Sutherland, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm leg spin
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1979/80–1981/82Western Australia
1982/83–1990/91New South Wales
Career statistics
Competition FC LA
Matches 76 21
Runs scored 3.729 329
Batting average 35.17 18.27
100s/50s 9/18 0/2
Top score 178* 66
Balls bowled 4,270 334
Wickets 36 12
Bowling average 53.75 21.25
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 3/47 3/27
Catches/stumpings 29/– 7/–
Source: CricketArchive, 11 November 2014

Mark Dorian O'Neill (born 5 March 1959) is a former Australian cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1979 to 1991. He is the son of the former Test cricketer Norm O'Neill and athlete Gwen Wallace.

A right-handed batsman and leg spin bowler, O'Neill showed such promise in his youth that at 18 he became the youngest-ever Lancashire League professional, playing two seasons for Bacup in 1977 and 1978.[1] He made his debut for Western Australia in the 1979-80 season aged 20. After three seasons, he moved to New South Wales where he remained for the rest of his career. In 1980 he worked for the MCC at Lord's.[2] O'Neill's highest first-class score was 178 not out for New South Wales against South Australia in 1985-86.[3]

After his retirement from playing, O'Neill became a batting coach and worked with New Zealand, New South Wales and Western Australia. He was recruited by Middlesex as their first specialist batting coach for the 2010 season before returning to Australia on a permanent basis after three years.

  1. ^ John Kay, "Lancashire Leagues", The Cricketer, Winter Annual 1977, p. 39.
  2. ^ "Contract for O'Neill". The Canberra Times. Vol. 54, no. 16, 248. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 21 March 1980. p. 18. Retrieved 2 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "South Australia v New South Wales 1985-86". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 September 2020.