Hartley to bow out after 232 games

The oldest player in the country, Hampshire bowler Peter Hartley, is to retire at the end of the season.

The oldest player in the country, Hampshire bowler Peter Hartley, is to retire at the end of the season.

Hartley started his 232nd and final first-class game yesterday when he led Hampshire and his former side Yorkshire on to the field at Southampton.

The 40-year-old fast bowler, who made his debut for Warwickshire in 1982, had taken 680 wickets and scored 4,321 runs in 231 first-class matches before yesterday's match. But Hartley has been forced to miss an increasing number of matches due to a troublesome hamstring injury and has now decided to quit the game.

The second day of Leicestershire's final County Championship match of the season against Kent at Grace Road was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Steady rain throughout the morning had left the square and outfield saturated and umpires Alan Whitehead and Roy Palmer called play off following an inspection soon after 2pm. Fortunately for Kent they had already obtained the one point they needed to secure their place in the First Division again next season by ending the first day on 228 for 8.

Zimbabwe's leg-spinner Paul Strang took a career-best 6 for 78 to limit New Zealand to 252 for 7 in the opening Test in Bulawayo yesterday. The tourists finished the third day 98 behind on the first innings.

Matthew Horne was New Zealand's best performer with 110. He batted for more than five and a half hours and hit 13 fours. Strang had Craig McMillan caught behind for 58 with the last ball of the day to end a stand of 72 with Chris Cairns, who was 33 not out.