A bustling allrounder with genuine pace and a penchant for late-innings hitting, James Fuller began his career with Otago before using his British passport to secure stints with Gloucestershire, Middlesex and Hampshire.

Fuller impressed during his time in the West Country, but gained infamy by being hit for 38 in one over by Scott Styris in a T20 quarter-final at Hove, and struggled with injuries early on in his stint. But when he got on the park, he proved a tall, lively seamer who could move the ball and took a hat-trick against Worcestershire at Cheltenham in 2013.

He was also part of Gloucestershire's Royal London Cup victory in 2015, taking two wickets in the final against Surrey, but Angus Fraser convinced him to join Middlesex because of his white-ball attributes.

His debut season in 2016 was most notable for some strong T20 displays, although he played only three Championship matches in Middlesex's title-winning year. He had some eye-catching moments, however: five wickets on debut in a win against Hampshire and 92 in a remarkable ninth-wicket stand of 162 with James Harris as Middlesex stole a two-wicket win against Somerset at Taunton that proved to be one of the most decisive twists of the summer. The season ended with a surprise call to play for the England Lions in the UAE, though the following summer was wrecked by an elbow injury which meant he did not bowl a single 1st XI delivery and eventually necessitated an operation.

Although opportunities presented themselves in the Championship as well as T20 in 2018, Fuller decided to move to Hampshire, his third county in four years. His 141 first-class wickets in total had come at 33.06, but, at 28, he joined a county low on English-qualified seam-bowling resources. The following year he was a regular in Hampshire's white-ball teams despite bowling only rarely, and was generally fielded as a number six batsman.

ESPNcricinfo staff