Dickie Davis dies aged 37

Richard Davis, the only cricketer to have appeared for five counties, has died aged 37 after a long battle against brain cancer.

Davis, known throughout the game as Dickie, began his career as a slow left-arm spinner with Kent, before going on to play for Gloucestershire, Sussex (in one-day cricket only), Warwickshire, and finally Leicestershire, for whom he played a one-off County Championship match in August 2001. It was 170th and final first-class appearance, and he signed off with six second-innings wickets.

The highlight of Davis's career came in 1994, when he was a member of Warwickshire's treble-winning squad. Neil Smith, a friend and team-mate at Warwickshire, said: "He was thoughtful, caring and considerate - an honest and straightforward guy who will be sadly missed."

Davis had harboured hopes of moving into fulltime coaching - he was assistant coach to the England women's team - but within two weeks of his final Championship appearance, he suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. A second, more aggressive tumour was discovered in September this year.

Davis leaves a wife, Sam, the sister-in-law of Kent's captain David Fulton.