Tim Ambrose has developed into one of the most exciting wicketkeeper-batsman in English cricket after overcoming a difficult start to his county career.

Starting his career with Sussex, where he earned a contract after a trial, he found himself behind Matt Prior for the wicketkeeping role in his first season and played as a specialist batsman in his next.

Although he finally did claim the gloves from Prior, an indifferent season in 2004 led to him losing out as wicketkeeper again and he left to join Warwickshire the following year.

His move to Edgbaston paid off and he made his Test debut for England on the 2008 tour of New Zealand and played a key role in their fightback to win the series.

Having lost the opening Test in Hamilton, England were in trouble again on 136 for five in the next Test in Wellington when Ambrose hit a defiant 102 and became the first England wicketkeeper to score an overseas century in 11 years.

It helped them win the Test and the series and cemented Ambrose's place in the Test line-up for the remainder of 2008, but an inconsistent home series against South Africa led to the selectors returning to Prior.

Ambrose did force his way back into the Test side early the following year, scoring an unbeaten 76 against West Indies in Barbados when Prior went home to attend the birth of his first child, and remains one of the best players of his type in the English game.