By Jamie Lillywhite

FULTON'S FIRST-CLASS CAREER Matches: 169 Runs: 10,323 Hundreds: 25 Average: 37.00

For a man who has just discovered how near he was to an England cap, Kent skipper David Fulton takes a remarkably philosophical view on life's vagaries.

Nasser Hussain's new autobiography discloses that Fulton was chosen to replace Mark Butcher at Headingley in the Ashes series of 2001, but the selectors had a last-gasp change of heart and retained the left-hander.

The rest, as is often said, is history.

"I knew I was close," said Fulton, who hit eight Championship centuries with a highest of 208 in that 2001 season.

"I'm not a 'what if' kind of guy, but I think I would have done a good job."

Recalling that fruitful campaign, which yielded 1,729 runs from 16 Championship matches, he continued: "I was probably batting better than anyone in the country at that time.

"Matthew Fleming, the Kent captain at the time, was being informed that I was close and to keep churning out runs."

Butcher steered England to a six-wicket win with an unbeaten 173 and Fulton conceded: "Ultimately they probably made the right choice because I think Butch played pretty well in that one.

"It's a few years ago, I would have loved to have played for my country but it's not something I'm going to lose any sleep over.

"I was in good touch and if there was a time to pick a player that was it."

Since then Fulton has not quite been able to reach the same heights.

"In 2002 I was made captain of Kent so I had other things to worry about," he explains. "But I had a decent season and made four hundreds.

I love to see my team-mates doing well on the big stage, there's certainly no bitterness from me David Fulton

"Then in 2003, which was probably my last real chance of playing for England - I know Duncan Fletcher asked after me that year - I took a blow to the eye in the nets from a bowling machine ball and basically I have been half blind ever since.

"I've played decently this season with five hundreds but, if I'm honest, my England aspirations probably disappeared at that moment.

"I look forward not backwards and now it's about trying to make this Kent side as good as we possibly can be.

"You never say never. If I score six hundreds in the first six games next year and there are a couple of injuries then you never know but I think every player in county cricket would say the same.

"England are very strong at the minute, I'm enjoying watching them sweeping most teams before them and realistically, I'll be 33 in a month, I think my time has passed me by.

"I've got no regrets and I certainly enjoy the success of (team-mates) Rob Key, Geraint Jones and Martin Saggers taking a wicket first ball, I love to see them doing well on the big stage and there's certainly no bitterness from me."

And with that it was off to hospital, where his wife has just given birth to their first child, a boy named Freddie.

Sounds like a good name for a cricketer if Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff is anything to go by.