Keith Barker

An improving seamer and destructive lower-order batsman, Barker is from a cricketing family, epitomised by the fact his late father’s best friend was Sir Garry Sobers.

Barker’s best performances had come in limited-overs cricket before the 2011 season, when he struck two championship centuries and illustrated his potential with the bat

Fresh from re-modelling his bowling action over the winter, Barker performed brilliantly during the first half of the 2012 LV= County Championship campaign.

The left-arm seamer claimed 32 wickets in the opening seven matches at an outstanding average of 17.43 and subsequently earned a new three-year contract.