A bustling, brisk seam bowler and middle-order batsman, Gareth Berg learned his cricket in South Africa, playing a handful of one-day games for Western Province B, before moving to live in England.

In 2004 he played for Northamptonshire 2nd XI without breaking into the first team, then in 2007 was signed by Middlesex. In the 2008 pre-season he took five wickets against England Under-19s on his home ground at Radlett, gaining him his first-team debut. In 2011 his all-round ability helped Middlesex to win Championship promotion as he averaged 41.87 with the bat and 19.96 with the ball. He continued to make valuable contributions with the bat and ball thereafter, impressing in all three formats of the game and topping 4,000 runs and 200 wickets overall for Middlesex. But a persistent shoulder injury ruled him out of the 2014 season. Middlesex then cancelled the remaining year of his contract.

His career seemed over but he approached his rehab with stiffened resolve, Hampshire took a punt on him and it paid off handsomely. Envisaged as a potentially useful addition, he exceeded expectations, being named the supporters' and players' player of the year as he scored 674 runs and took 43 wickets in first-class cricket. No innings was more striking than his first-innings 72 against Nottinghamshire in Hampshire's final match of the season as they guaranteed their Division One status in the Championship. He called his recovery "humbling". Surgery on a knee injury disrupted his 2016 season but he recovered to earn a further one-year deal.

Despite his ancestry. An Italian passport enabled him to sample international cricket with appearances for Italy in World T20 qualifiers in both 2012 and 2013.

ESPNcricinfo staff