Gareth Andrew

Gareth Andrew was a hot-and-cold allrounder for Worcestershire who began his career at his native Somerset in 2003 but who transferred to New Road four years later and established himself as a handy allrounder with his bustling medium-pace and hard-hitting lower-order batting. He became a Championship regular in 2008 and steadily improved his returns, breaking the 50-wicket barrier for the first time in 2011 with 52 at 29.71. But like most of the Worcestershire side, slumped in 2012 as the club were relegated.

He spent the winter of 2012-13 playing for Canterbury in New Zealand and made his maiden first-class century - 180 not out - against Auckland at Eden Park. Worcestershire will have been frustrated that he did not follow it up.

In one-day cricket, Andrew failed to make much impression with the bat, although he did make a maiden List A ton in 2010 - only his second 50-plus score. His bowling was not quite tight enough for the shorter format at his pace and knee and back injuries restricted his development and eventually caused Worcestershire to release him in 2015. He answered a Hampshire injury crisis on a match-by-match basis in 2016, acquitting himself respectably enough after he was summoned from Ombersley in the Birmingham League.

An oddity of his career was his promotion of the Mongoose bat, which was made up of a longer handle and shorter blade with more weight at the bottom of the bat. Criticism was easy to find when he recorded three consecutive ducks, but he compared it to a golf driver and presented it as essential in T20 cricket in particular. He hit five sixes as he blasted 66 of just 26 balls against Glamorgan in 40-over cricket. Briefly, his coach Steve Rhodes imagined him as an England contender if his explosive moments could happen more regularly.
ESPNcricinfo staff