A sportsman has a short shelf-life, and the cream of them manage to make the most of their talent at an early age. Rikki Clarke, a highly talented all-rounder, was one of those who managed to direct his talent at a much later stage of his career. After moving to his third county, he developed into a good all-rounder, albeit at a domestic level.
After winning a Second XI Championship with Surrey in 2001, he was handed a first-class debut and immediately scored a hundred against Cambridge UCCE in 2002 and was in the midst of an epiphany as he followed that up with a 153 not out against Somerset at Taunton. Having come in from the second XI with heaps of experience, he helped Surrey to the County Championship title that year and rose to prominence with the Young Cricketer of the Year award.
