Friday 28 November 2014 10:48, UK
Jon Lewis has been named bowling coach of Sussex after announcing his retirement from the playing ranks.
The former England seamer joined Sussex from Surrey before the 2014 campaign but injury restricted his appearances over the second half of the season and he has decided to make a move into the coaching ranks.
The 39 year-old took 849 first-class wickets during his first-class career, which began in 1995 with Gloucestershire.
Lewis said, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that have been a part of my life as a professional cricketer. Especially those at Gloucestershire and England.
"I feel very privileged that I was able to have fulfilled a career as a professional player for over twenty years and able to gain my coaching qualifications and experience alongside.
"I am now very excited to make the seamless transition from a player into a coach, at a very welcoming and successful club; Sussex County Cricket Club.
"I am looking forward to becoming part of and complimenting the already successful existing coaching team. It gives me great pleasure to be given the opportunity of developing and maximising the success of the existing bowling attack and the next crop of exciting young bowlers at Sussex. I will be grabbing the challenge wholeheartedly.”
The county's Professional Cricket Manager Mark Robinson added: "Firstly we would like to congratulate Jon on what has been a fantastic playing career.
"He has been consistently one of the stand-out bowlers in the County Championship and played a leading role in winning many a one-day trophy with Gloucestershire. He represented his country with distinction and was a fierce competitor that you had to respect.
“When Jon was with us last year it became very apparent he was born to coach and instantly gained the respect of all the players within the squad.
"Jon’s role is to oversee and develop the current bowlers that we have and also nurture the younger bowlers in our youth system so in time we will constantly have a depth of seamers at the disposal of the first team.”
