Richard Davis, the former Kent left-arm spinner, has been diagnosed as suffering from a brain tumour. The thirty-five year-old has been appearing as player coach for Berkshire in the Minor Counties Championship since retiring from the first-class game, and has also been undertaking some coaching duties with the England women's team.

Known throughout the game as 'Dickie', Davis made his debut for Kent in 1986, was capped in 1990 and spent nine successful years as the successor to Derek Underwood. He left Kent to join Warwickshire for the 1994 and 1995 seasons, after which he played two seasons for Gloucestershire. He played as a one-day specialist for Sussex in 1998 before interrupting his retirement last summer to make one CricInfo Championship appearance for Leicestershire, when he returned figures of 6 for 73 in one innings.

Davis first realised that something was wrong when he suffered two epileptic fits, and is now due to visit a brain surgeon for further examinations and treatment.

By a macabre coincidence, Alan Igglesden, the former Kent and England fast bowler, joined Berkshire as player-coach after his first-class career. However, he had to step down when it was found that he was suffering from a brain tumour. His former Kent team-mate, Davis, replaced him.

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