His early education was undertaken at Rydal School,[1] Ratcliffe made his first-class debut for Wales against the touring West Indians in 1928 scoring 71, facing the tourists' genuinely quick attack at Llandudno with confidence, hitting a six and 9 fours.
[4] Ratcliffe undertook his studies at Cambridge University in 1930, it was in that same year that he made his debut for Cambridge University Cricket Club in a first-class match against Yorkshire, the same season in which he made his debut for Denbighshire in the Minor Counties Championship, with him playing 4 further matches for the Welsh county up to 1931.
[4] This score, which was his only career double century, came against Oxford University at Lord's.
[1] While at Cambridge, he also made the first of first-class appearances for the Marylebone Cricket Club against the Army.
[3] During this period, two further first-class appearances came for the Marylebone Cricket Club, in 1938 against Yorkshire and in Cambridge University in 1939.