Cricket: Darren Gough Signs Three-year Deal With Essex

When Darren Gough ended weeks of agonising yesterday by confirming he would see out his career at Essex, it seemed a perfect match. Gough, the most ebullient cricketer of his generation, has signed a three-year contract with a county that has traditionally yearned to mix business with pleasure.

Gough has spoken of the wrench of leaving Yorkshire after 15 years so he can be within commuting distance of his children as he seeks to rebuild his life in the wake of a broken marriage. Laughter has never been more important to him, and the echoes of the Essex of 20 years ago, which managed to win and cavort around at the same time, were impossible to resist.

At Essex Gough is among team-mates he can trust. Ronnie Irani, the captain, is a like-minded soul, two-thirds cricketer, one-third northern comedian. Paul Grayson, the vice-captain, was a fellow graduate at the Yorkshire Academy and was the best man at his wedding. And during their time with England, Gough and Nasser Hussain, while possessing different characters, were full of mutual admiration.

As Hussain shrewdly said: "The basic thing about Darren is he wants to be loved and surrounded by people who appreciate him. He wants to get back to enjoying his cricket. We need to ensure we get the best out of him. He's only got one knee left. I know he'll be running in all day, so we've got to handle him well."

Graham Gooch, Essex's coach, emphasised the need to manage Gough's fitness to ensure the damaged knee that forced him to retire from Test cricket last summer does not make this a costly gamble.

"We are not about to flog him to death," he said. "We aim to get the best out of him and that means being aware of the limitations of his knee. He fits the profile of an Essex cricketer perfectly. Our history is that of a side that plays it hard but also sees the funny side of things and tries to entertain. There is a real style and enthusiasm about the way that Darren goes about his cricket.

"He has also been England's premier fast bowler for the past 10 years and his influence can have a beneficial effect on everybody. He is a good role model but he also has a lot to offer in terms of winning matches. Our aim is to get back into the First Division."

Ian Botham, on Sky Sports, questioned Gough's choice of a Second Division club yesterday but Essex have the potential for rapid improvement. Ravinder Bopara, Mark Pettini and the England Under-19 captain, Alistair Cook, are among the best young batsmen in the land and Graham Napier is in this winter's Academy squad. All they need is a fit bowler or four.

And Alistair Darling please take note. The transport secretary is advised to ensure that all traffic cones are removed from certain sections of the M1, M25 and A12 for the next three years, or a red-faced fast bowler could come knocking. Gough, who chose Essex ahead of five other counties, with Warwickshire and Gloucestershire the most enthusiastic suitors, wants Chelmsford to be within an hour of his flat in Milton Keynes.

"Deep down I knew Essex were the county for me," he said. "It is a club run by cricketers. They've had success in the past and I am sure they can have it again, especially in one-day cricket. There are some great players here and there are some great personalities here. I'm not here just to play a bit part but there are many physical demands on fast bowlers now and they need to be able to communicate with the coach and skipper."

By signing for Essex he ensured that he will soon get the Yorkshire grumbles over with. Essex's championship season begins at Headingley on April 21, which at least means that any moans from the flask-bearing cognoscenti will be muffled by several layers of winter clothing.