County Keeper Who Rose To The Top

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Moores - led Sussex to glory.

By Rory Dollard, PA Sport

By handing Peter Moores the England reins following Duncan Fletcher's resignation, the England and Wales Cricket Board have shunned the prospect of another foreign coach in favour of rewarding success in the domestic game.

While the names of Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody and the always impressive Dav Whatmore - who has marshalled Bangladesh admirably at the World Cup - featured prominently in the discussions about Fletcher's successors, Moores is the man who has been trusted with restoring the feelgood factor in a side visibly affected by an arduous and less than triumphant winter.

His credentials are certainly impressive and his triumphs at Sussex put him forward as one of the country's pre-eminent coaches.

A canny wicketkeeper and handy batsmen in his playing days, the 44-year-old Moores made his first-class debut with Worcestershire but moved to Hove two years later after failing to establish himself ahead of David Humphries.

He initially encountered similar problems dislodging Ian Gould at Sussex but by 1989 he had his county cap and was busy laying the foundations for a career that saw him chip in with over 7,000 first-class runs and reach the milestone of 500 catches behind the stumps.

His leadership skills were first recognised in 1997 when he was handed the captaincy but that job was short-lived as he retired from the playing side to take over coaching responsibilities the following year.

It did not take long for Moores to get the most out of those under his charge and in 1999 he got his hands on his first silverware as a coach, winning the National League Second Division title.

But Moores - and Sussex - were destined to compete at the top level and in 2001, the coach had done enough to see his team to another title - this time in the second tier of the County Championship - and the seeds were sown for the brightest period in the county's history.

By that time he had already been handed his first England duties, taking charge of the 'A' side on their tour to the West Indies.

In what could be seen as a good omen for the powerbrokers at the ECB, Moores wasn't fazed by the step up to the top flight and, after a steady first season, the 2003 season brought a first County Championship success in 164 years.

Moores' side, an unflashy, unfussy bunch with no obvious star names - captain Chris Adams and overseas star Mushtaq Ahmed were the most recognisable players - were a testament to him and their victory against more vaunted opponents proved an ability to thrive under pressure that will serve England well regardless of how long he stays in charge.

Sussex repeated their efforts of 2003 last year, and while Moores had since moved on to replace Rod Marsh as the ECB academy director - a position that has already brought him into contact with a host of players in or around the national side - their second title reflects well on the sustainable set-up he left in place.

Ironically Fletcher was part of the four-man panel who interviewed Moores for the academy job.

He said at the time: "I am very pleased for Peter because he has an excellent record of success with Sussex and is highly respected within the game.

"Our coaching philosophies draw on similar values and I am sure that we will both enjoy working together to the mutual benefit of England cricket."

With Fletcher gone, Moores' part in England's future is now set to take on an even greater significance.