Corey Richards was the boom New South Wales batsman before Michael Clarke, but he appeared to bust terminally after a couple of poor years that ended with his sacking in 2002-03. However, after two seasons without a state contract, Richards returned to the squad and made occasional appearances in the Pura Cup without success, and regular contributions in the limited-overs competition with 182 runs at 30.33. In his prime he was the Australia XI batsman who stroked a delightful 138 against England after scoring centuries in the first three Sheffield Shield matches of the 1998-99 summer. Not only did the season earn him 710 Pura Cup runs at 50.71 and the New South Wales Player of the Year gong, but it also had him tagged as a future international. The description slipped as he started to struggle and two years later he was fighting to be selected in half the state's first-class games and keep his average above 30. In 2001, he suffered a broken finger when representing Scottish club Ayr and then contracted a form of deep vein thrombosis as he embarked on an early journey home. Inconsistency led to his full-time removal from the state team and while away from the squad he began a real estate career. The return to the Blues' fold appeared to have turned him into an endless-summer cricketer again, and he was one of Scotland's overseas players in the C&G Trophy. However, his change of fortune at home ended when he missed the contract list for 2006-07.
Cricinfo staff June 2006