Hoggard announces retirement

[Jeff]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24050294

Leicestershire's former England seam bowler Matthew Hoggard has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
The 36-year-old represented his country for eight years from 2000 and took 240 Test wickets in 64 matches,
He was a key figure in the 2005 Ashes series and received an MBE for his part in England's memorable 2-1 success.
Hoggard said on Twitter: "It's been an amazing journey filled with fantastic experiences shared with great people but time's come to hang the boots up!"
He continued: "I would like to thank everybody that has played a part in making it such an enjoyable career."
Hoggard began his domestic career with Yorkshire, making his debut in 1996, and was a member of their County Championship-winning side in 2001.
He took 668 wickets in 195 first-class matches for the club, but was released by the club in 2009.
Hoggard joined Leicestershire as captain for the start of the 2010 season and led the side to victory in the 2011 FL t20 competition.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

Fabulous player.Sadly only for Yorkshire & England though.Pretty much retired in 2009 & perenially injured since coming here.

Also living proof that captaincy is a skill not guaranteed merely by virtue of experience.

To be fair though you can't expect much when asked to lead the complete shower of inept,useless,embarrassing,shameful,disgraceful shite that constitutes LCCC these days.
I'd retire too on the back of a season which has seen us lose matches to a university team & a scratch team of county rejects & minor counties kids.Plus managing to confirm ourselves as the worst team in the country by mid-season & then proceed to become even worse.

5 championship defeats in a row,4 by an innings! Including managing to lose BY AN INNINGS to the 2nd worst team in the country (Glamorgan) Looking like finishing the season without a single,solitary victory & falling short of three figures in terms of championship points.
A new low achieved when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse.

If I were you Matt I'd try to forget you were ever here.

 

[tpearce]

Thought Hoggy captained us quite well in his first season; as I remember we were one game away from being promotion contenders. Can you imagine?
I fear there may be a few more retirements at the end of the year, some of them not through choice. Maybe the money we save on Hoggy's wages and medical treatment might pay for a couple of bowlers that actually play now and again. And even take wickets. Let's not go mad...

 

[DesertFox]

Even from 5,000 miles away, this season has been pretty embarrassing. It can surely only get better. It can't really get much worse.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

...It can't really get much worse.

You do realise what you've just done don't you? :-D

Cue finishing next season failing to get FIFTY points!

Plus losing a friendly to a combined universities women's XI during which our entire top order gets out to deliveries that beat them for pace.