Wisden overview
A burly swing bowler with a high action, Richard Johnson made the news in 1994 when he took 10 for 45 in an innings for Middlesex against Derbyshire. He had already ended Brian Lara's run of five consecutive first-class centuries that summer, and when Johnson excelled again in 1995, he was picked for England's tour of South Africa. But a back injury forced him to pull out, and he had to wait five and a half years before England came knocking again, picking Johnson in the squad for the final three Tests against Australia in 2001, then drafting him in for the tour to India after Andy Caddick dropped out at the last minute. Opportunities were limited though, and when Caddick returned after Christmas to face New Zealand, it was Johnson who made way for him. Now at Somerset, Johnson's stock delivery is the one that swings away from the right-hander, but he can find bounce too, even if his accuracy sometimes suffers. His once-promising batting is now of the swing-or-miss variety, although he has the ability to turn a one-day game with some choice blows over the infield - just one of the reasons he was called into England's one-day plans after the 2003 World Cup. Lawrence Booth

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