A LONG and happy career in the county game was always going to be a better cause for Kevin Dean to celebrate, even though Derbyshire could not help him finish on a winning note.

This was the 145th one-day match for Dean with his native county and his 287th and last in all cricket. It brought him his 577th wicket but no victory as the Phantoms lost to Warwickshire by 29 runs on Saturday.

But as the 32-year-old bowler showed off his five-week-old son, William, and got ready for his team-mates to give him a send-off in the County Ground bar, Dean said he had enjoyed his last day as a Derbyshire player.

"It's been an odd week," he said. "I've had to sort out a few things and that's brought back a few sad times as well as a few happy memories.

"I will go away having made a lot of good friends and I've got quite a few beers lined up for me upstairs.

"The last wicket was an lbw as well, which was nice, it was just a shame we couldn't win the match.

"Everything else about the day has been lovely.

"A few people came down before the Derby County game, so it was nice to bowl with a big crowd behind me and the reception I got was fantastic.

"I'd like to thank everybody for all the support they have given me over the years."

Dean bowed out with a fine 1-24 in eight overs as he found plenty of swing with the new ball.

But he says he has no regrets about the timing of his retirement, though he feels the full impact of his decision may not have fully hit home yet.

"I think it will be the next pre-season, when I'm not doing the bleep tests, when I might really miss it all," he added.

"I will still be involved playing somewhere but I'm sure I will miss the crack of being around the team five or six days a week during pre-season.

"But there is a right time and a wrong time.

"I am getting slower in the field and at least I'm not going to embarrass myself there any more but I can still bowl a bit."