In 1983 Mike Selvey moved from Middlesex to take over the captaincy of Glamorgan. His tenure after his debut for his new employers only lasted for a shade over eighteen months but during this time, Mike claimed 119 wickets for the Welsh county in all formats.
Mike made his first-class debut for Glamorgan in 1983 against Cambridge University on his old stamping ground at Fenner’s where he had been in the Light Blue’s side during the early 1970s. This was the first of 24 first-class and 19 List A games in which he played that summer and, at first, operated as first change behind the likes of Greg Thomas, Malcolm Nash and Steve Barwick. Later in the summer, following the arrival of Winston Davis, Mike shared the new ball with the West Indian pace bowler.
He duly claimed 62 first-class wickets during 1983, with his tally including three five-wicket hauls, whilst Mike also delivered several probing spells in List A games. However, the following year, the former England seamer struggled with both form and fitness as a result of shoulder and knee injuries and he was forced to retire during mid-July having only claimed 19 Championship wickets that summer.
Mike had initially played for Surrey from 1968, before moving to the North of the Thames and joining Middlesex in 1972. He then spent the next eleven years at Lord`s during which time he won his county cap in 1973 and enjoyed a Benefit in 1982. During the mid-1970`s Mike was regarded as amongst the best medium-pace swing bowlers in England, and won 3 Tests for England.
In 1976 Mike made a dramatic entry into international cricket, taking the wickets of Roy Fredericks, Viv Richards and Alvin Kallicharran with his first twenty deliveries in Test cricket. After leaving the first-class game, Mike became a distinguished journalist and broadcaster, whilst in 2020 he was appointed as President of Middlesex CCC.
SELVEY, Michael Walter William
Born – Chiswick, 25th April 1948.
Best performances for Glamorgan:
In first-class cricket – 63 v Essex at Sophia Gardens, 1983; 6/31 v Oxford University at The Parks, 1984.
In List A cricket – 13 v Warwickshire at Edgbaston, 1984; 4/10 v Combined Universities at Fenner’s, 1983.
| M | I | NO | RUNS | AV | 100 | 50 | CT | ST | |
| First-class | 39 | 42 | 11 | 361 | 11.65 | – | 1 | 14 | – |
| List A | 31 | 15 | 10 | 84 | – | – | 10 | – |
| Balls | M | R | W | AV | 5wI | 10wM | |
| First-class | 5647 | 207 | 3000 | 87 | 34.48 | 4 | – |
| List A | 1339 | 26 | 941 | 32 | 29.40 | – | – |