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Page last updated at 16:20 GMT, Saturday, 8 August 2009 17:20 UK

Crawley to quit at end of season

John Crawley
Crawley in action against his former county Lancashire in August

Hampshire and former England batsman John Crawley is to retire at the end of the season.

The 37-year-old has been with Hampshire for the last seven years after joining the county from Lancashire in 2002.

"I have enjoyed a fantastic career at the top of the game for over 20 years," said Crawley, who made 37 Test appearances for England.

"However, I have now realised that the time has come to close this particular chapter of my life."

Crawley finished his Test career with a batting average of just over 34, making his last appearance in the fifth Test win over Australia in Sydney in 2003.

His highest Test score - 156 not out - came against Sri Lanka in 1998.

In first-class cricket he twice scored triple centuries - 311 not out against Nottinghamshire in September 2005 and 301 not out against the same county a year before.

A Cambridge graduate, Crawley made his first-class debut for Lancashire in 1990, with his England Test debut following in 1994 against South Africa.

His departure from Lancashire followed a bitter legal battle to buy his way out of his contract - he even employed former Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair to represent him - after he was stripped of the club captaincy.

The move to Hampshire reinvigorated his career - he scored 272 on his debut - and paved the way for an England Test recall after a three-year absence.

In 2006 he was the top scorer in the first division with 1,737 runs and six centuries.

606: DEBATE

Crawley added: "I am particularly pleased to have been able to see out my career as such a fantastic club as Hampshire.

"This is a brilliant place with some exceptional talent already in and about to break into the team and the last thing I want to do is stand in the way of that talent."

Hampshire chairman Rob Bransgrove said: "This is a very sad day for Hampshire and for English cricket in general.

"His retirement will leave a massive gap here at The Rose Bowl and across the game."



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see also
Crawley signs new Hants contract
02 Mar 06 |  Hampshire


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