Cricket: First-class Tavare hangs up his bat

CHRIS TAVARE, the former England batsman, yesterday announced that he will retire from county cricket at the end of this season.

The 38-year-old Tavare played in 31 Tests between 1980 and 1989. His highest score was 149 against India in Delhi on the 1981-82 tour.

Tavare, the Somerset captain, will be remembered for his dogged defence and patience against all types of attacks and his ability to accumulate runs. The right-handed batsman has scored more than 24,000 runs in 400 matches.

He made his Kent debut in 1974, was capped four years later and was appointed captain in 1983. He moved to Somerset in 1989 and secured a prominent place in their history against Sussex in 1990 when he shared a record ninth-wicket stand of 183 with Neil Mallender on his way to a career-best 219.

Peter Anderson, the Somerset chief executive, said: 'Chris has made his announcement now to give us plenty of time to choose a successor for next season.'

Bob Woolmer, the former England and Kent all-rounder, has decided to continue as Warwickshire's director of coaching for two more years. Woolmer, who replaced Bob Cottam, guided the club to second place in the County Championship in 1991 and successive NatWest Trophy semi-finals. He had been in the last year of a three-year contract.