Gough ready to call it a day

Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler, has cast doubt over his availability for Yorkshire's final match of the county season, against Sussex next week. Gough, 38, had already announced this would be his final season and he has hinted that he may have played the last match of his career.

Gough bowled five magnificent overs in the morning session of the final day of Yorkshire's match against title-chasing Somerset at Scarborough to give his side hope of an improbable win, but the match was eventually drawn. "I wanted to go out in style today - and that proved to me I am ready to retire. I am absolutely shattered now," said Gough, who captained Yorkshire for the past two seasons. "I bowled as quick as I have for a long, long time in that first spell. I had the opposition saying that is the quickest they have faced all season and when they say stuff like that, I'd like to finish on that note.

"When I look back I'm glad my last wicket was Justin Langer. I've had some great battles against him and it's nice to know my last wicket in Yorkshire was someone as good as him."

Gough, who has suffered a series of niggling injuries this summer, now has a couple days to decide whether he will be fit to play the crucial relegation match at Hove. "I have given everything there, three spells of putting my body to the limit," he said. "I will see how I rock up on Monday morning and how the other bowlers are."

Yorkshire are in serious danger of being relegated to Division Two with only five points separating them from Lancashire, Kent and Sussex.

Gough also criticised the nature of the pitch at Scarborough, something he has done more than once when captaining at home. "I've been saying it for two years. Hopefully it will finally kick in at some stage. People are starting to agree with me now. You have got to give the bowlers a chance, especially with the bowling line-up Yorkshire have got.

"They need a bit of encouragement because if you turn up time after time and are bowling on wickets like that, you are soon going to get disheartened."