Cricket: Fairbrother ends glittering career; As Martin shines for Lancs.

Byline: SIMON WILSON

IT will be the end of an era on Sunday as Neil Fairbrother plays his last game at Old Trafford.

The Grappenhall-born left-hander, who turns 39 next Monday, announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of the season - calling time on a long and distinguished career with Lancashire and England.

Fairbrother, known throughout cricket by his middle name of Harvey, has scored almost 20,000 first class runs for Lancashire since making his debut way back in 1982, putting him in the county's all-time top ten.

His tally of 47 first class centuries for the club puts him sixth, behind great names from the past such as Cyril Washbrook and the Tyldesley brothers - and his four double centuries included a record-breaking 366 against Surrey at the Oval in 1990.

But Fairbrother has also been Lancashire's most successful batsman in one-day cricket, with another 11,000 runs as a key figure in more than a decade of unprecedented success in which he shared in four Benson and Hedges Cup wins, three more Lord's triumphs in the NatWest Trophy and three in the Sunday League.

He also played 75 one-day internationals for England, including three World Cups, with a top score of 113 against West Indies at Lord's in 1991 and 16 half-centuries.

His Test career was less successful after an unhappy start when he was sent out to bat on a gloomy evening on his debut at Old Trafford, with only one half-century, against India in Madras, in his 10 appearances.

But Fairbrother will still be remembered as one of Lancashire's finest and most popular players of the modern era.

He almost retired at the end of last summer, which would have seen him go out in style after hitting four centuries for the first time since 1994, and score 969 runs at an average of more than 60.

But his decision to play for one more year was undermined last winter when he suffered a blood clot after a knee operation, and since returning in June he has been struggling for form.

``I have always said that I wanted to continue playing while I was enjoying my cricket and maintaining a standard which I found acceptable,'' Fairbrother said. ``Unfortunately that has not been the case this season, and it hasn't been much fun. However I have had a long and successful career and I am proud of what I have achieved. I have played in some great teams with some great players, and most important of all I have made some great mates.''

After Sunday's Old Trafford farewell, Fairbrother will have the chance to earn another place in the record books if he plays in the Championship match in Canterbury next week - Kent are the only one of the other 17 first-class counties he has never scored a century against.

He had a watching brief at Old Trafford yesterday and led the applause for the second century of Peter Martin's career as Lancashire piled up 598, their highest ever total against Warwickshire.

Martin blasted six sixes and 12 fours in an unbeaten 117, after Chris Schofield had fallen nine runs short of his maiden century but still recorded a career best 91.

Glen Chapple then took an early wicket in the Warwickshire reply, his 49th of the season, but bad light frustrated Lancashire for the rest of the day.

CAPTION(S):

TON UP: Peter Martin celebrates his century yesterday; OVER: Fairbrother