Sixteen years of waiting over for legend Robin

He lasted an hour, showed the Salisbury defence a thing or two with a couple of deft dummies and produced a handful of searching runs through the centre.

And he loved every single minute of it.

Former Hampshire Cricket captain and England batsman Robin Smith strapped his rugby boots on for the first time in over 16 years when he turned out for the Romsey Veterans on the back pitch at the town's Sports Centre ground against the visiting Wiltshire side.

The hosts lost 22-17 but Smith, who hobbled off with a twisted ankle, was back playing the game that, had fate turned slightly differently back in South Africa as a youngster, he could have made his name instead of with bat and ball.

Smith loves rugby and always has.

A number of sports masters and mentors in Durban confessed that he should focus his efforts towards the oval ball instead of the small red one as he could reach a very high level.

But the rest is, indeed, history - 62 Test matches, 71 One-Day Internationals, 426 first-class matches and in excess of 26,000 runs to his name certainly shows he made the right decision.

But, when England's tour of India was cancelled back in 1989 due to South African-born players in the national side, he turned to Romsey RFC and played three games in the first XV.

He wanted to keep himself in trim but the Test and County Cricket Board, the forefather to the ECB as it is now and team manager Micky Stewart pulled the plug on Smith's rugby days, worried that he would get himself injured.

And that was the last time he ran out for an 80 minutes in the back line.

But he always promised himself that he would play again once he retired from cricket.

And true to his word - following his announcement last September that he was calling time on his superb Hampshire Cricket career - he got in touch with Stafford Lind, the organiser at Romsey and put himself forward.

"I felt really exhilarated afterwards, even though my ankle was in a lot of pain," he said, admitting that he had to visit a specialist on Monday morning to see if he had done any damage to the limb.

"But I absolutely loved it and I want to play more.

"I have not been as excited after a game for a long time as I was on Saturday night having a drink in the bar and socialising with the two teams. It was superb.

"The only problem was, I was a 40-year-old still thinking I was 20 out there!"

He admitted he was under some serious pressure on the sidelines - from his 13-year-old son Harrison, who has been making some impressive rugby strides at school. And it might have shown when he fumbled his first catch at inside centre.

"It is a lot different catching a rugby ball to a cricket ball!" he joked. "I was gutted because I think I was looking at the opening as there could have been a decent run on.

"Harry always says that I talk a good game and he is strong runner and good tackler in his own right, so when he said I played well when we got home so I must have done okay!"

Wife Kathy and daughter Margaux were also on the touchline giving him support as well.

But don't think Smith is happy just to turn out for the Vets on the odd occasion. He still has ambitions to get himself fitter to break back into the Romsey first XV if he can next season.

"Saturday was a little taster for me and I couldn't have enjoyed it any more than I did, especially as I was playing with some of the lads that I did 16 years ago on the last time I ran out.

"If I can put the commitment in and play a better level, then I would love to turn out more regularly.

"That is one of the advantages of retiring from cricket as I can go and watch Harrison and Margaux in their sports, while doing things myself if I wish."

However, with the Hampshire players gradually reporting back to the Rose Bowl from across the globe and a number already in action in the nets, it is starting to register with him that, for the first time in 23 years, he is not directly involved.

"I saw a few of the lads at the ground yesterday and it began to click that I will not be out there.

"But the sooner I realise that, the easier it will be because it will hurt me."

He is, though, getting used to the camaraderie of a different sporting dressing room.

"It is in Romsey that I have spent a number of years and with these players, the club and the town, I have enjoyed myself a great deal," he added.