The curtain came down on the county championship season little more than a week ago.

But for David Masters it was the final call of a playing career that lasted 16 years in the first-class game.

“I’m just letting the body calm down,” said the 38-year-old Chatham-born bowler, still basking in the glory of the most fitting departure from the game.

Division 2 champion with Essex, Masters called time after the final game of the season – fittingly at his home county, Kent.

“The body has been going downhill all season but you don’t realise it at the time,” added Masters, who will be swapping bowling boots for the builders variety as he rejoins his father’s business.

“I’ll miss it but it’s good to go out on a high and on my own terms. The best thing is to go out winning things, so to walk away with that was fantastic. A county title was the last thing I’d never won. I’ve won 20/20, 40 and 50-over competitions so it was nice to win that.”

Wife Jenna, father Kevin and brother Daniel were all at Canterbury to watch Masters’ final bow. He even bowled the last over of the final day in the drawn match against the side he made his first-class debut for in 2000.

“It was amazing how everything worked out,” said Masters. “I’m pleased and proud with how well I’ve done. To finish my career where it all started was fantastic and I’ll always pop down to Kent and watch some games.

“I’ve had a fantastic time and didn’t want anyone to spoil it so it was a perfect year in
the end. It was an emotional day. I had my family there and they were invited into the changing room at the end.”

Masters, who still turned out for Kent League Lordswood last season, departs the county scene with 672 wickets in 202 first-class games.

Starting at Kent, he could be classed as one who got away as he moved to Leicestershire in 2004 before joining Essex where he has flourished for the past nine years.

But, as Masters has already eluded to, the toil of playing on the county circuit had taken its toll, although his decision was only made quite recently.

He said: “It was probably a month or six weeks ago. I talked to Essex a few times before then. There were pros and cons, I wanted to make sure that they were in a good place with the youngsters and didn’t want to leave them in the lurch.

“It was getting hard on my body and I started to struggle a bit. I’ve been talking about it for a couple of years. People always said to me that I would know when the right time would be and I am at that stage now.

“Essex were keen on me doing some coaching but I didn’t want to do anything full-time. I was willing to do a certain number of days a year so we’re in the process of sorting that out now.

“I can’t just walk away from the game with all the knowledge that I’ve got, I wanted to help Essex.”

From one conversation it is easy to tell how Masters has lasted so long. How he has outstayed those with arguably more talent but possibly less desire.

For a team game, Masters is the ultimate team player. Personal achievements pale into insignificance even with figures of 8-10 and a first-class century to his name.

“You do enjoy your personal days when you get 100 or eight-fers but that doesn’t beat winning,” he said. “The feeling that you get and the celebration of winning a competition are the most special days.

“I even remember my first game, taking nine wickets for Kent against Zimbabwe, I remember the 8-10 against Leicestershire and I got 119 against Sussex. But the fun and celebration of winning something is unbelievable.

“Winning the Friends Provident final at Lord’s is one of the biggest things but the championship is totally different because you work so hard for it.

“To win the four-day competition, the pain you go through and the hours it takes, I’d say it’s the most rewarding out of the lot.

“You can’t beat winning and for me it was always about winning and being the best I could at everything.”

A haul of 40 championship wickets in nine matches during his final year was proof that Masters was no stereotypical journeyman county bowler.

He was the leading wicket-taker with 93 victims in 2011 but England honours eluded him. It was not for the want of trying, though.

For years he dreamt of playing for his country and “that didn’t change until a few years ago” says the right-arm medium fast bowler.

“That was always an ambition of mine. It was only the last couple of years that I knew it probably wasn’t going to happen. Even up to the age of 34, I thought I still could do it.

“To get the most wickets (in 2011) and the most that anyone had got for a long time, I always thought I had a chance.

“I don’t ever think I could class it as a regret. I did everything I possibly could and my stats show that. It was a personal choice. I remember I had a chat with Andrew Strauss about it once and said ‘was there any danger of picking me?’

“But I never thought I was anywhere near getting a call-up because I never got to go on an A-tour or play for the Lions.

“I don’t think I was that kind of bowler. I always did the right things but they look for someone a bit special, someone who can do something out of the blue.

“They’ve got Jimmy Anderson who does much the same thing as me – except he does it four or five mph quicker than me!”

For now, though, Masters will play next summer at Upchurch alongside his father and brother while sons Alfie, 10, and Harrison, eight, turn out for the youth section.

It appears that he has already come to terms with stepping back from the game that he has served so well as he added: “My new profession will be building now. Hopefully, I’ll be as good at that as I possibly can.”

Somehow, you get the impression he’ll be pretty good at that too.