HOMEGROWN former Hampshire and England bowler Chris Tremlett has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

The 33-year-old, who took 459 wickets in a 15-year first-class career, cited a susceptibility to back trouble as one of the reasons.

Southampton-born Tremlett, who Shane Warne once described as the nicest fast bowler he had known, will be remembered for his fearsome performances during the successful Ashes series of 2010-11. 

His 17 wickets at 23.3 helped England to a 3-1 success, their first Ashes triumph in Australia for 24 years.

In all he took 53 Test wickets - at 27 apiece - in 12 appearances from 2007-13.

It is fitting that he recorded his best figures on the occasion of The Ageas Bowl’s Test debut, against Sri Lanka four years ago. 

Tremlett made three of his 12 Test appearances while at Hampshire.

And when he played the first of his 15 one-day internationals, against Bangladesh in 2005, he became the first Hampshire-born Hampshire player to represent England in this country.

Tremlett, whose father Tim and grandfather Maurice played for Hampshire and Somerset, is from Otterbourne and played for Hursley Park CC and Hampshire's age-group sides before representing his home county for a decade.

He moved to Surrey in 2010 but took most of his first-class wickets for Hampshire (264 at 28.55), including his career-best 6-44 against Sussex at Hove under Warne in 2005.

Tremlett  was also in the Hampshire side that won the 50-over Lord’s finals of 2005 and 2009.

But his 6ft 7in frame was always susceptible to injury, which ultimately is the reason for his retirement 12 days before his 34th birthday. 

Tremlett announced his decision by tweeting the following statement...