James Bruce announces retirement

	James Bruce in action against Surrey in 2007 © Martin Williamson

James Bruce has announced his retirement from professional cricket to pursue a career in the City.

Bruce represented Eton and Durham UCCE before signing for Hampshire as a fast-medium seamer in 2003. He was a member of the side that won the C&G Trophy in 2005 and enjoyed his most successful summers in 2006 and 2007, taking 38 and 39 wickets. He was awarded his county cap in 2006.

"The decision to retire has been a decision that I have not made lightly," said Bruce. "I've been gaining work experience in the City over the last three winters with the intention of developing a career for when I had finished playing. Whilst initially I didn't know when that might be, I was always conscious of the importance of preparing for life after cricket.

"The recent work that I have done this winter has made me realise that the transition from sport into the working world is not as easy a process as I originally thought. I have thoroughly enjoyed the work I have been doing and became aware that the longer I left this transition the harder it would be for me to secure a career in exactly what I wanted to do."

"Over the last few years Brucey has put an enormous amount of work into getting his body and mind into a position where he has proved a formidable opponent for opposition batters," Paul Terry, Hampshire's coach, said. "It's not an exaggeration to say, in the right conditions, he has become one of the better English-born bowlers. Having witnessed the work he put into his fitness in Perth in the early years, it always gave me a sense of pride to see how well his career had developed - a sentiment shared, no doubt, by all those who have helped him along the way."

In 49 first-class matches, Bruce took 124 wickets at 34.07. In 31 one-day outings his 44 wickets cost 22.18. he had few pretensions as a batsman and his 243 runs came at an average of 7.14.