MARK EALHAM'S decision to turn down a one-year contract with Kent in favour of a three-year deal at Nottinghamshire has left a gaping hole in the heart of the team that has yet to be filled.

Though rumours of a move for Kevin Pietersen continue to rumble on, the South African-born all-rounder remains under contract at Trent Bridge and therefore unapproachable under ECB regulations.

Added to which, Pietersen’s want-away stance may yet be the subject of an industrial tribunal or even litigation.