Steve Rhodes

The son of former Nottinghamshire keeper Billy Rhodes, Steve looks the part. In the wicketkeepers' tradition, he is stocky yet athletic, and a pugnacious batsman. He joined Yorkshire in 1981 and became the youngest keeper to play for the county. But as an understudy to the then Yorkshire captain and keeper David Bairstow, his opportunities were limited and he was released to join Worcestershire in 1985. He gained his county cap a year later and has served the club with great consistency for two decades.

One of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year in 1994, Rhodes made his Test debut in the same year against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, hitting 49 and taking six catches. He might have played for England much earlier, having been selected for the tour to India in 1988-89 that was cancelled for political reasons. He caught three of Devon Malcolm's nine victims in the famous Oval Test match of 1994 against South Africa, and went on to tour Australia in 1994-95. But his performances, particularly with the bat, were not considered good enough for him to keep his place.
Graham Holburn (April 2004)