Andy Needham

An offspinning allrounder, Andy Needham was almost an Oval veteran by the time he secured a regular slot in their first team in 1982. In his third match of the summer he scored 134* against Lancashire batting at No. 9, adding 172 for the tenth wicket with Robin Jackman, and then took 5 for 91. He was in and out the side in 1983 and 1984, but in 1985 he scored three hundreds and passed 1000 runs for the only time (1223 runs coming at 38.21). In 1986 he again struggled and at the end of the summer surprised many by moving north to join Middlesex. He stayed two seasons, becoming more of a utility player in one-dayers. He subsequently coached at Watford Grammar where he had been a pupil.
Martin Williamson