Lathwell runs out of reasons to play cricket

MARK LATHWELL has retired from cricket at the age of 38.

After Braunton’s one-run defeat to North Devon in the Francis Clark Devon League last week, the former Somerset and England batsman told the club he was no longer available.

Having missed much of last year’s promotion-winning season with a back injury, Lathwell had considered walking away during the winter.

But he was persuaded to spearhead Braunton’s attempt to establish themselves in the premier division.

It has been a difficult season for the player and team, however, and he decided to retire with four games remaining of Braunton’s attempt to avoid a swift return to the A division.

Lathwell said: “Results this year have proved that we haven’t moved forward as a team and I asked myself are there any more reasons to play?

“My body is not holding up very well. It takes me three or four days to recover from a match.

“And my youngest son, Sam (aged 12), is playing a lot and I get as much pleasure watching him than playing myself these days.

“All those reasons came together. It’s been coming for a couple of years and you have got to call it a day sooner or later.”

Lathwell would have played on until the end of the season had Braunton not lost to North Devon on the last ball.

They drew with Plymouth on Saturday, but he thinks it is unlikely they will survive in the premier division.

“Had we beaten North Devon, I was going to haul my kit bag out of the bin because I would still have had a reason to play,” said Lathwell.

“But the sides Braunton have left to play (Budleigh Salterton, Paignton and Bovey Tracey) have already stuffed them this season. If they can stay up it will be some miracle.”

Lathwell, a former pupil at Braunton Community College, returned to play for his local club after leaving Somerset in 2001.

He had scored 8,727 runs in a 156-match, ten-year first-class career with the county, which included two Test matches for England in the 1993 Ashes series.

Jon Baglow, Braunton’s captain, said Lathwell was “a great asset to any side”.

He had persuaded him to carry on during the winter but is now looking to the club’s young players to take a greater role.

“When I spoke to Mark in the winter he said he wanted a good reason to play cricket and enjoy it,” said Baglow.

“When he first came back, he kept Braunton in the A division two seasons in a row on his own — his performances kept them up. He didn’t want to be in that situation again.

“But he wanted to be part of something we were trying to do, to progress and be competitive — it hasn’t quite worked out.

“I’m sure he thought he would be among the runs and wickets and it hasn’t happened.

“He is probably not 100 per cent fit and it’s a hard league to play in if your team is struggling and you are not 100 per cent fit.”