Nick Knight announces retirement

Nick Knight: 'I feel the end of the 2006 season is the right time to move on and look to the future' © Getty Images

Nick Knight has announced that 2006 will be his last season of in first-class cricket. He has spent 11 years with Warwickshire after joining them from Essex in 1995.

Knight, 36, was captain from 2003 to 2005 and led the team to their first County Championship title in nine years in 2004. He has notched up 27 centuries in first-class matches and 22 centuries in one-day matches for Warwickshire and has been the leading run scorer for the county in 1998, 2002 and 2005. In 2005 he reached 10,000 first class runs for Warwickshire in the fewest innings.

Following his decision Knight said: "I feel very lucky to have played the game for this long at both county level, with Essex and Warwickshire, and internationally with England. Having played most of my career at Warwickshire, it is the members, staff and my team-mates I would like to thank the most. I feel the end of the 2006 season is the right time to move on and look to the future. I would like to express my gratitude for all the support and the memories."

The Warwickshire chief executive, Colin Povey, said: "Nick has been a great servant to Warwickshire and the club will miss his contribution both on and off the field. I hope that Nick's last season is a successful one and reflect the outstanding career he has had with the Bears. I am sure I can say that everyone at the Club joins me in wishing Knighty every success in his life outside cricket."

Mark Greatbatch, the director of coaching, added his own endorsement: "Nick has been an integral part of the Club and we fully support his decision to retire. We are lucky to have him for the 2006 season and hopefully we can add some silverware to his collection, which will complete what has been a marvellous career in the game."