Graham Wagg

Graham Wagg, a fiery left-arm seamer and lusty late middle-order hitter,came off the rails with a lengthy ban for cocaine use in 2005 but rebuilt his career to become a steady performer for Glamorgan, hitting the heights in 2015 when he adorned a fine all-round season with an aggressive double century in the Championship batting at No 8. He was also an influential figure as they progressed to NatWest Blast Finals Day two years later.

Wagg represented England at Under-16 and Under-19 levels before making his first-class debut for Warwickshire in 2002. Aged 19 he demonstrated his potential with four wickets and a quick half-century against Somerset at Edgbaston. He was included in England's Academy squad in 2002-03 but withdrew with a back problem that seriously hampered his next two seasons: in 2003 he made just one Championship outing, and in 2004 he was limited to a handful of one-day games.

Perhaps it was frustration with his limited game time that turned Wagg to drugs. A random ECB test saw him banned for a year in October 2004 and he was sacked by Warwickshire. He spent the year coaching and then resumed his career with Derbyshire. His comeback season was solid if unspectacular as he played in just over half of the county's Championship games.

After a limited 2010 season, where he played four first-class games, he moved to Glamorgan. In 2013, he helped Glamorgan to their third Lord's final with 18 wickets in the 40-over cup and the best-ever figures by a Glamorgan bowler in T20 - 5 for 14 at New Road. A groin problem hampered his availability in 2014 but he still returned his best haul in a season for Glamorgan with 41 Championship wickets at 30.68.

Even better followed in 2015. Late in the day, at 32, he enjoyed his best season with bat and ball, compiling 1160 runs and taking 60 wickets in all formats. His career-best 200 helped Glamorgan to defeat Division Two champions Surrey at Guildford and saw Wagg become the first No 8 to score a double hundred in championship cricket since 2000. His tally of 11 sixes also broke the club record of nine in a championship innings, set by Malcolm Nash against Gloucestershire at Swansea in 1973.

Glamorgan's T20 tie against Gloucestershire in 2018 saw Wagg become the first county cricketer to be penalised under Law 41.5, the 'fake fielding' law. As Michael Klinger and Miles Hammond set off for a single, Wagg dived but failed to stop the ball and pretended to have the ball in his hand and to throw it towards the keeper. It caused the batsmen to hesitate and even though they then completed the run the umpires imposed the Law, introduced ahead of the 2018 season, which stated: "it is unfair for any fielder wilfully to attempt, by word or action, to distract, deceive or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball", and awarded Gloucestershire five penalty runs.

That unusual instance apart, his all-round performances continued to be solid, as he maintained his status as one of Glamorgan's most consistent contributors across formats.

ESPNcricinfo staff