Paul Franks, the Nottinghamshire stalwart all-rounder who has taken 792 first team wickets for his home county, has announced his retirement from the first class game.
The 36-year-old is a two-time winner of the LV= County Championship title with the Club having lifted the trophy in both 2005 and 2010, as well as being part of the promotion winning campaigns of 2004 and 2007.
Franks, who was born in Mansfield, made his Notts debut in 1996, was capped by the county in 1999, made one appearance for England in 2000 and was bestowed a benefit year in 2007.
He will continue to captain the Club’s Second XI having led them to the Championship title for the first time since 1985 in 2015.
“It’s about closing a chapter and moving into a new one,” said Franks.
“Playing for Nottinghamshire in first-class cricket has meant an enormous amount to me. The shirt and the cap really matters.
“Now the work we’re doing with the young players in the Academy team and Second XI is going from strength-to-strength and will continue to do so.
“My responsibility is to make them aware of what it takes to be the next Luke Wood, Brett Hutton or Jake Ball.
“I’m a good example of what can happen of you give everything you’ve got; that they too can have long careers and do a decent job along the way."
Franks retires having taken 524 first-class wickets, in 215 matches, at an average of 33, with 11 five wicket hauls and career-best figures of 7-56 against Middlesex at Lord’s in 2000.
In his first full season in 1997 he took the first Nottinghamshire hat-trick for a decade, becoming the youngest bowler in the Club’s history to achieve the feat by dismissing Trevor Penney, Dougie Brown and Graeme Welch against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.
With the bat, he has scored 7,185 first class runs at an average of 28 with four hundreds and 41 fifties, including a resourceful stint opening the batting during the run-in to the 2010 championship success.
In white ball cricket, he has taken 218 wickets averaging 28.79 and scored seven half-centuries.
Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell praised the long serving all-rounder’s contribution to the Club both on and off the field.
“He’s made a huge contribution over the time he’s been here,” he said. “For many years he’s been a stalwart of the first team, he’s made a terrific contribution with ball and bat.
“He’s played a major role in some of our best team performances and some of our best seasons as well.
“He was our leading bowler from a very young age and that’s a terrific indictment of the quality of bowler he was.
“Then, over the years, he matured in his game and made major contributions over time.”
Franks has retired the number eight squad number and donated it to Stuart Broad.
Congratulations to Paul from everybody at Trent Bridge on an outstanding career in the first class game.
The 2015 season has seen dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.