Former Yorkshire captain Steven Patterson announces retirement

Patterson, 38, spent his entire career with Yorkshire, taking over 650 wickets in 343 appearances across all formats

Former Yorkshire captain Steven Patterson has announced his retirement from cricket.

The 38-year-old spent his entire professional career with Yorkshire and was often the unsung seamer in the bowling attack.

He made 185 first-class appearances for the club, taking 489 wickets at 27.57, including 10 five-wicket hauls, as well as a further 118 wickets in 95 List A outings and 61 T20 wickets in 63 matches.

With the bat, he scored nearly 3,000 runs across all formats, including four first-class half-centuries.

A County Championship winner in 2014 and 2015, Patterson captained Yorkshire for five seasons but stepped down from the position in July after being informed he would not be receiving a contract extension at the end of the season.

^{Patterson in action this season [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

However, he remained a key red-ball performer in his final season, taking 37 wickets at 27.56 in 13 appearances – second only to Jordan Thompson (42 wickets).

In a statement announcing his retirement, Patterson revealed other clubs had been interested in securing his services for 2023 but his loyalty remained with Yorkshire.

"I have made the difficult decision to retire from professional cricket. It was always my dream to play for Yorkshire, so to have the privilege to represent the club for almost 20 years is an honour," Patterson said.

"After being told I was no longer wanted by the club, I took the time to consider my next step. Although I was offered the opportunity to play Division One cricket elsewhere, I had to listen to my body and my heart. I simply don't feel I have the energy or the passion to play for any other club.

^{Patterson won two County Championship titles with Yorkshire [Sarah Ansell/Getty Images]}

"I am going to commit my time to our family property business, and give more time to my wife and children.

"There are many people without whom I wouldn't be where I am today. My sincere thanks go to my family who have supported me unconditionally, all the coaches and medical staff that have helped me over the years, my teammates past and present who I have made wonderful memories with, and of course the members who have been nothing but brilliant to me.

"The reception I received at the game this week is something I will always treasure."