Sussex have confirmed that Jimmy Anyon has lost his battle with a long-term knee injury.

Anyon had trained with the county over the winter in a bid to prove his fitness and earn a new contract but has now decided to retire from first class cricket on medical advice.

The 32-year-old had not featured for the first team since June 2014 and broke down on three separate occasions last summer when he tried to make a comeback in the 2nd XI.

Anyon said: "It’s been a frustrating 18 months and on the advice of the club’s medical staff, I have decided not to pursue my first-class cricketing career.

“I have had a fantastic time at the club since I joined in 2010 and I would like to thank everyone who has made me and my family so welcome here at Hove. I’m very fortunate to have played my best cricket at Sussex and I’m very proud that I got to represent the county as often as I did.

“I’d like to make a special thank you to the medical staff and the PCA for all their help over the past 12 months and I wish the club success going forward, as we have a lot of good people who are working hard to make the club successful both on and off the pitch.

“Over the winter, I’ve enjoyed coaching some of the promising young players from the Sussex age group squads and I hope to be able to continue to contribute to the club in the future.”

Anyon took 199 first class wickets for Sussex since joining from Warwickshire in 2010, including a best-ever haul of 50 in the 2013 season before his knee problems began.

Head coach Mark Davis said: "I'd like to say a big thank you to Jimmy for his outstanding service he has given Sussex over the last six years. He was not only a top class cricketer but was a great man to be around and an integral part of the dressing room.

“A big strong man who could bowl all day and get anybody out, he kept running in and would never shy away from hard work when conditions became tough. His batting was solid, with a good technique and consistent method, playing a number of very valuable innings when the team needed him most."