A compact and organised left-hander with a technique not dissimilar to Andrew Strauss's, Mike Yardy had been a Sussex stand-in until he cemented his right to a starting place by recording his maiden first-class century in defeat against Surrey, in the final match of the 2004 season. He began 2005 in identical fashion, with another hundred against Surrey, to trigger a run of form that carried him to the top of the domestic batting charts. His zenith arrived against the Bangladeshis at Hove, where he scored 257 - the highest score by a Sussex batsman against a touring team, beating George Cox jr's 234 against the 1946 Indians - and followed up with a career-best 5 for 83 with his left-arm spin. That was exactly double his previous tally of first-class wickets. His good form continued throughout the 2005 season leading to selection for the England A tour of West Indies, and ultimately a chance to push for a World Cup place when he was picked for the Champions Trophy. Though his bowling impressed, England's strange insistence that he bat at No. 4 meant that the overall image suffered, and he was quietly jettisoned. He was groomed as Chris Adams' success at Hove and took the reigns in 2009, leading the county to two one-day trophies - the Twenty20 Cup and Pro40 - but also presided over Championship relegation.