An all-rounder, albeit better known latterly for his right-arm swing bowling, Andre Adams once added a touch of dash to New Zealand's batting armoury in the one-day format with his hard-hitting skills. But he struggled to make a consistent impact with his bowling on the international stage and lost his place in early 2007, signalling the end of his international career when he joined Nottinghamshire as a Kolpak player in 2008.

He had made his Test debut against England at Auckland in 2002 and took three wickets in each innings. But a series of back injuries on the West Indies tour of 2002 allowed Jacob Oram to move ahead of him in the pecking order, and he was not selected again. He played in the 2003 World Cup but again soon lost his place. He played county cricket for Essex in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

He had a productive 2006-07 domestic season for Auckland, claiming 32 wickets at 18.78 in New Zealand's domestic first-class State Championship and scoring 318 runs at 39.75. But this was overshadowed by a one-month suspension for grabbing and shaking the helmet of Central Districts batsman Bevan Griggs.

Along the way, Adams was recalled for three ODIs against Sri Lanka in December but was overlooked for the World Cup and lost his national contract in May 2007. He was overlooked again the following season, despite impressive performances in the State Championship, and signed a two-year contract with the short-lived Indian Cricket League.

In 2008, Adams joined Nottinghamshire, initially on a two-year deal, and has remained with the club since. He was named the club's player of the year in consecutive seasons, after taking 68 first-class wickets as Nottinghamshire won the County Championship in 2010 and a further 67 in 2011. He totalled 54 in the 2012 campaign despite missing four matches because of injury.

He plays only first-class matches in England but appears in 50 and 20-over games during the English close season. He was part of the Auckland Aces side that won New Zealand's domestic one-day cup and Twenty20 tournaments in 2010-11 and represented them in the Champions League T20 in India. The Aces retained their T20 crown in 2011-12. Adams also appeared in the first Bangladesh Premier League, for eventual semi-finalists, Khulna Royal Bengals.

Renowned for an all-or-nothing approach to batting -- his 31 sixes in the 2011 season was the highest tally in England in first-class cricket -- he has three first-class centuries to his name, although none since 2006.
ESPNcricinfo staff