A highlight of my career was batting against Malcolm Marshall in 1993. I was playing for Combined Universities against Hampshire in a Benson and Hedges Cup (55 overs a side) match. It was Hampshire’s first match of the season at Southampton, and David Gower’s first match for Hampshire, so there was quite a large crowd there. The Hampshire side also included Robin Smith and Mark Nicholas as their captain. Batting first, I went in at number 3 in the second over, batting with John Crawley who later played for England. Facing Marshall was surreal – here was one of the world’s best bowlers, whom I had watched for years on TV, running in on his angled run-up to bowl at me. I cut one of his deliveries for four and the crowd applauded very generously – that was surreal too and the only time it ever happened to me. Marshall was very crafty, shortening his run up, bowling the odd slower ball, swinging it both ways. I somehow survived his opening spell, only to be caught behind shortly afterwards to a left-arm spin bowler for 18. Damn!