FORMER Kent cricketer and Whitstable's favourite sporting son Vince Wells, has announced his retirement from the game after 15 years.

Wells, a former pupil at Sir William Nottidge School at Whitstable (now The Community College), signed for Durham from Leicestershire at the start of the 2003 season to add guile to an inexperienced squad.

But the 38-year-old has decided to hang up his boots after just one summer at the Riverside to concentrate on business opportunities back in Kent.

Wells said: "I'm disappointed to have drawn a line under my time at Durham but this opportunity is too good to turn down."

A typical bread and butter all-rounder, Wells excelled in English conditions bowling medium-pace swing and batting in the middle order.

Born in Dartford, he played just 14 first-class matches for Kent between 1988 and 1991 and, with opportunities restricted at Canterbury, opted to move to Leicestershire where he went on to win two championship titles inside three seasons.

Aged 33 he was a surprise choice for the England one-day side touring Australia in 1998-99 and enjoyed a remarkable debut.

He took three for 30, including three of the Aussie top four, in the first Carlton & United Series final and then smashed 33 from 39 balls.

It was enough to get Wells into the squad for the 1999 World Cup in England, but after featuring in the Sharjah warm-up matches, he failed to appear in the tournament and his one-day international career ended after nine appearances.

A schoolboy footballer with Leyton Orient, Wells hit a century on his NatWest debut for Kent in 1990 and 201 against Berkshire in the same competition for Leicestershire against Berkshire in 1996.

He played a total of 196 first-class games for three counties and remarkable 276 one-day matches.

Durham will retain Wells' registration for the 2004 season as cover in case of injury.