Essex win Grant

With one Championship century in 2004, Andy Flower has shown only glimpses of the gleaming class that brought him a Test average of 51.54 - better than Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar or Steve Waugh. By that standard five first-class hundreds for Essex, in three years and 46 games, is a disappointment.

Next year he will have a familiar rival in the middle order: Essex have signed Grant, Andy's younger brother and former Zimbabwe team-mate, on a two-year contract. Under the Kolpak ruling - which extends to nationals of certain non-EU countries the right to work unhindered in the EU - he will not be classed as an overseas player.

Sibling rivalry can be explosive - just ask the Gallagher brothers - but do not expect bust-ups disrupting practice at Chelmsford: one or other Flower (usually both) appeared in 295 successive internationals for Zimbabwe, without a hint of a falling out.

"Grant has years of international experience," says Essex's chief executive David East. "He'll help some of the younger guys in the team and bolster the top order. And he's a fantastic fielder who offers a spin-bowling option."

Flower Sr has yet to make the same phenomenal impact with the bat as the man he replaced in 2002, Stuart Law, who moved to Lancashire. Law scored 30 hundreds in 92 first-class games for Essex and left a massive hole. "Andy may feel disappointed with his form this season but he's a class batsman and class batsmen will make runs," says East. "We have no worries about him."