James Middlebrook was a respected and combative county professional, who played more than 500 matches in all formats in a largely unsung county career. His batting, always doughty, became more reliable with age and was good enough for him to make 10 first-class hundreds. As well as many stubborn innings around No 8, he regularly filled in at the top of the order when circumstances demanded. Much he did had the stamp of a good, purposeful county pro. Even in his final season - a dismal relegation season for Northants as their return to Division One turned sour - he underlined his worth by being one of only two Northants players to feature in all 16 games and finished as their leading Championship rungetter. But it was offspin that was Middlebrook's dominant role and it brought him 458 first-class wickets. He began his career with Yorkshire, where his father, Ralph, was an industrious figure at the Headingley academy, but found opportunities limited before a fruitful eight-year stint at Essex. He moved to Northamptonshire before the 2010 season. His love for cricket had not abated at the time of his release - he found Northants' cull of senior players hard to accept and made tart reference to his place in the top 20 in the PCA's Division One rankings - and packed his bags for Australia for a coaching-cum playing role in grade cricket.
ESPNcricinfo staff