English News Round-Up

Former Kent, Sussex and England batsman Alan Wells has announced his retirement from first-class cricket.

A few days short of his 40th birthday, he played for Sussex between 1981 and 1996, captaining the side for the last five of those years and appearing once for England in a Test, against the West Indies at The Oval in 1995. He played in one one-day international in the same year.

After leaving his native county he moved to Kent for the 1997 season and has now announced his intention to stay in the game in a coaching or management capacity.

Meanwhile, Kent have also released Kristian Adams, the left-arm seamer whose release was also announced last year, left-hand batsman Paul Lazenbury and Ben Phillips, an all-rounder.

Leicestershire have released Scott Boswell, the medium pace bowler who suffered such a bad attack of nerves that he delivered nine wides in the two overs he bowled in the C & G Trophy final against Somerset at Lord's. In the semi-final against Lancashire, he was man-of-the-match with 4 for 44, and each of his victims had played international cricket for England.

Gloucestershire have signed former Yorkshire left-arm spinner Ian Fisher. The 25 year-old was released by Yorkshire last month, having made only one CricInfo Championship game last summer.

The former Glamorgan and West Indies fast bowler, Ottis Gibson, has been added to the list of overseas coaches making an impact in the English game.

Apart from the number of coaches from other countries making an impact in county cricket, the national side is guided by Duncan Fletcher from Zimbabwe and the newly appointed director of the National Academy is Australian Rod Marsh. Gibson has taken the job of national coach for the North-West region, replacing John Abrahams who has moved to become Marsh's number two at the academy.