HAMISH Marshall ends his decade at Gloucestershire today (Friday) as he heads home to New Zealand but is as faithful and as busy on the pitch to the last as he was when he first arrived.

The 37-year-old is leaving the county to take up a new venture back home but, after 11 years in which he scored over 14,000 runs, the former New Zealand Test ace said it was not without a strain.

Marshall was at the other end of the crease 12 months ago as Australian Michael Klinger hit a match-winning 137 not out in the Royal London One-Day Cup semi-final at Yorkshire that nobody gave the West Country side a chance of taking.

Marshall smashed 78 unbeaten runs that day and helped them to win the Cup outright at Lord’s on the memorable afternoon that they beat Surrey.

There have been many memories, though, for Marshall in his long association with the county that granted him a benefit year in 2015.

So Marshall could be forgiven for winding down this week as Gloucestershire take on Sussex in their final Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash with nothing on the end of the result other than pride.

But he said: “Nothing has changed in the last couple of months. It has been business as usual which is trying to win cricket games with a bunch of lads that I have been playing with for a while now.

“It is going to be a sad day at the end of the last match when it is all over.

“The new job is in the back of my mind at the moment because there is still a bit of cricket to play yet but it is a great opportunity and one I could not turn down, if I am honest. The new job will be something I will think about when the season is finished.”

Last year’s victory in the One-Day Cup is a highlight of his time at the County Ground – now the Brightside Ground – but there are others.

“It is hard to go past that as a moment of my time here,” he said. “It was great to win a trophy with the club which is something you play the game for – to win trophies.

“But the 20-20 final stages in 2007 was a great experience and, to be honest, I really enjoyed the Cheltenham Festivals. Those two weeks are pretty special in the calendar and I look forward to those two weeks every year.”

Marshall will be leaving a great pool of talent at Gloucestershire for the future with some youngsters already catching the eye of national selectors.

The Kiwi added: “There are guys here with, hopefully, big futures and they are getting better.”