Parsons announces retirement

Keith Parsons, the Somerset batsman, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. Parsons, 35, has been at Taunton since 1992 but has not represented the team this season.

"There comes a time when your body tells you it's time to pack in professional sport," Parsons told the club's website. "I worked as hard as I have ever done on my fitness last winter but little niggles keep occurring.

"I'm told that Sir Ian Botham and myself are the only two players to have scored over 5,000 runs and taken more than 100 wickets for Somerset in both four-day and one-day cricket, which makes me very proud."

Brian Rose, the club's director of cricket, paid tribute to Parsons, who finishes with 5324 first-class runs at 28.62. "It's always sad when a player retires, particularly when he has been a great servant to a club, as Keith has been to Somerset," Rose said. "He was a local product and made the people of Taunton very proud of him. We wish him nothing but the best for the future."