CAPTAIN Chris Park believes as well as losing a close friend in the Dorset ranks next season, the retirement of Tom Hicks will leave a “massive gap” in the side.

All-rounder Hicks decided it was time to call it a day on his Minor Counties career following Dorset’s defeat against Berkshire at Dean Park last week.

The county stalwart retires having taken 256 Championship wickets and scored 2245 Championship runs in an 18-year spell with the club.

“It’s a massive shame that Hicksy has retired,” said Park, who replaced Hicks as captain going into the 2014 campaign.

“It has been a long season with the T20 competition as well, it feels like we have played a lot more games for whatever reason.

“He had been sat on the fence about it all year. He is not getting any younger and has family and work commitments.

“The amount of experience that he had which the young players could tap into, especially in three-day cricket, the pressure situations, and tactical situations, is something we are going to miss massively through Tom.

“It leaves a massive gap in the side that we need to fulfil for next season.

"We are having to look at the next tier of Minor Counties cricketers, the likes of Jake Lintott and Mas Khan, who have been playing for four or five years now. It’s their turn to take Hicksy’s place.”