There have been few more popular players than Trescothick to have graced the professional game

They don’t make them like Marcus Trescothick any more. This is his 27th, and as he revealed yesterday, last season for his beloved Somerset.

Twenty-seven seasons. Given the demands of the modern game and the riches on offer all over the world, it is unlikely anyone will match that longevity and loyalty again.

The news that the 43-year-old left-handed opener is to retire at the end of the season was hardly unexpected, given that he has lost his place in the Somerset side, but it will not diminish the sadness that will be felt in every corner of the cricketing community.

There have been few more popular players than Trescothick to have graced the professional game, few more humble and certainly few more brave. His