Yardy back on world stage

The Sussex captain, whose talent was forged with Battle and Hastings Priory Cricket Clubs, played in England's opening two matches in the ICC World Twenty20.

Former William Parker Sports College pupil Yardy conceded just six singles off his only over and took the catch to dismiss Chris Gayle as England lost a farcical rain-affected opening group game against West Indies on Monday.

England posted the joint highest total of the tournament so far of 191-5 batting first and the hosts raced to 30-0 in reply before rain arrived in Guyana.

After the resumption, West Indies were set a revised target of just 30 from 22 balls under the Duckworth/Lewis method and they got there, almost inevitably, with a ball to spare.

Yardy, 29, was then run out without facing by a brilliant direct hit from the deep off the penultimate ball as England totalled 120-8 against Ireland the following day.

The Irish were 14-1 off 3.3 overs in reply at the same venue when rain brought about a no result which meant that England joined West Indies in the Super Eight stage on net run rate.

All-rounder Yardy, who has been described by Sussex County Cricket Club professional cricket manager Mark Robinson as the best T20 bowler in the country, impressed in England's two warm-up matches last week.

He took 2-25 from four overs - his victims being Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers - and held the catch to dismiss Mark Boucher in the five-wicket win over South Africa in Barbados last Thursday having claimed 3-20 off four as England saw off Bangladesh by seven wickets the previous day.

Yardy, who captained Sussex to Twenty20 Cup glory last summer which earned them a place in the Champions League Twenty20, played in six One Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals in 2006 and 2007.