Jon Lewis, a consistent county wicket-taker with his skiddy medium-paced awayswingers, seemed destined to be a no-cap wonder after frequently being called up by England only to be left out at the last minute. It started in South Africa in early in 2005, when Lewis, a late addition to an injury-hit squad, was congratulated by his team-mates ahead of the rain-delayed start of the final Test at Centurion. It seemed a first cap was imminent: but it didn't happen then, or at home during 2005, even though Lewis rocked the Australians with four wickets in the T20 international victory at the Rose Bowl early in that famous tour, ripping out Symonds, Clarke and Ponting for ducks.

His ODI career also started well, with three wickets against Bangladesh, but the Aussies seemed to work him out after that. Suspicions remained that he just wasn't quick enough to be an international force, and although Lewis did finally get a Test cap against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in 2006 - and again started well, the first of his three wickets coming with his third ball - he was sidelined when Pakistan visited later that summer.

At 31 that might have been it, except as England's one-day attack continued to struggle with injuries and lack of form Lewis was the only quicker bowler to do the basics right. He retained his knack of grabbing early wickets and had become an integral part of England's one-day plans until he suffered an ankle injury during the victorious CB Series campaign in Australia. Even so, he was retained in the World Cup squad though played no part.

With the bat, he was an old-fashioned tailender, capable of the odd mighty blow, and he was named Gloucestershire captain in 2006 but couldn't bring success to the club. He stepped down after three years in charge after the 2008 campaign.

He continued his very successful county career that saw him help Gloucestershire to seven trophies in five seasons between 1999 and 2005 with over 50 wickets in 2009, 2010 and 2011 - which proved to be his final year at Bristol after scoring over 500 runs in a season for the first time.

With growing uncertainty over Gloucestershire's financial future, Lewis took the decision to take a player-coach role with Surrey, ending 17 years in the West Country where he took 771 wickets, placing him 17th on the all-time list of wicket takers for Gloucestershire. A season later, he was on the move again, his county career still flickering at 38, as Sussex took a gamble on his wealth of experience. After one year he brought the curtain on his playing career and took the role as bowling coach at Hove. "I want to stop Sussex having to employ people like me to come and bowl for them," he said.
ESPNcricinfo staff