A compact and organised left-hander with a technique not dissimilar to Andrew Strauss's, Mike Yardy had been a Sussex stand-in until he cemented his right to a starting place by recording his maiden first-class century in defeat against Surrey, in the final match of the 2004 season. He began 2005 in identical fashion, with another hundred against Surrey, to trigger a run of form that carried him to the top of the domestic batting charts.

His zenith arrived against the Bangladeshis at Hove, where he scored 257 - the highest score by a Sussex batsman against a touring team, beating George Cox jr's 234 against the 1946 Indians - and followed up with a career-best 5 for 83 with his left-arm spin having started life as a medium-pacer. That was exactly double his previous tally of first-class wickets.

His good form continued throughout the 2005 season leading to selection for the England A tour of West Indies, and ultimately a chance to push for a World Cup place when he was picked for the Champions Trophy. Though his bowling impressed, England's strange insistence that he bat at No. 4 meant that the overall image suffered, and he was quietly jettisoned. He was groomed as Chris Adams' success at Hove and took the reins in 2009, leading the county to two one-day trophies - the Twenty20 Cup and Pro40 - but also presided over Championship relegation.

His steely approach in one-day cricket, however, kept the England selectors interested and when Andy Flower recognised the need for the limited-overs side to find a left-arm spinning allrounder Yardy was recalled for the 2010 World Twenty20. Darting the ball in, he formed a potent spin partnership with Graeme Swann that helped England achieve their first ever success in a global ICC event. That secured him a regular place during the 2010 season and then a berth at the World Cup, but Yardy didn't complete the tournament as he flew home with depression before the quarter-final. The cricket community rallied around him and he returned to Sussex action in the early part of the 2011 summer.

Andrew Miller May 2011