Matthew Hart packs it in

Matthew Hart © Cricinfo

Matthew Hart, the slow left-armer who played 14 Tests for New Zealand between 1994-95 and 1995-96, has announced his retirement.

Although only 33, Hart made his debut as long ago as 1990-91 and played all of his Tests in a two-year period while still in his early 20s. The highlight of his career was when his 5 for 77 at Johannesburg played a key part in New Zealand beating South Africa. He finished with 29 wickets at 49.58. He also played 13 ODIs, the last of which was on New Zealand's tour of the Caribbean in 2002.

Hart told the New Zealand Players Association that he had lost his enthusiasm for the game. "I found last summer that at times I was keen to get out there and at other times it was hard to get out of bed," he admitted. "My performances certainly reflected that."