Ralphie Albert burst into the world of county cricket in spectacular manner, his 96 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last month the highest score by a Surrey player in his maiden List A innings.

The 17-year-old all-rounder, who has already shone for England under-19s, is highly regarded as a left-arm spinner and a hot property.

That’s the sweet end of the lollipop, the arrival of a young talent whose potential is enormous.

Perhaps Albert will achieve great things. Maybe he won’t. For every great player walking off into the sunset at The Oval, greeted by a standing ovation bidding farewell, there are hundreds whose careers have finished in a far more prosaic manner. It might be a meeting with the director of cricket to explain why a contract is not being renewed.

Or worse still, advice from the medics that playing on could make a persistent injury worse, potentially sparking problems later in life.

Matthew Dunn has fallen into the latter category, a persistent shoulder problem which necessitated surgery last winter and more treatment through the season – aborting his return to action in May – failing to respond and leaving him with few alternatives but to admit his playing days are over.

Retirement is particularly poignant for fast bowler Dunn (33), who has had more than his share of fitness setbacks since emerging – bright-eyed and full of hope – in 2010. He and wife Jessica suffered an acute personal tragedy when their young daughter Florence was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy and died in 2023. Since then, they have raised more than £40,000 for Dravet Syndrome UK.

What does a player do after retirement? Those who rank among the greats might move into broadcasting, particularly given the many outlets in the multimedia world, whether it is commentating or lending us their wisdom on podcasts, perhaps even a newspaper column or two.

Many go into coaching, whether with a county – Surrey's ranks include former players Alec Stewart, Gareth Batty, Jade Dernbach and Matthew Spriegel – or at a public school, such as Martin Bicknell at Charterhouse and Rikki Clarke at King Edward’s in Witley.

For those whose careers barely got off the ground, it is perhaps easier to catch up with their peers, heading to university as a mature student. The players who have been on a staff a bit longer, reaching 25 or over, probably have the hardest job readjusting to the real world given the life of a professional cricketer is unique.

For a long time, contracts lasted six months a year and it was down to players to find something to do in the winter months. There were cases of some having to sign on the dole and genuine hardship but it also offered an opportunity to start another career and maybe build a business in preparation for the time they received the tap on the shoulder from the coach. Now contracts stretch all year round.

Happily, the game long realised it had a duty to those leaving the game and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) offers advice and support about what to do next. Dunn was Surrey’s PCA representative and is well versed in his union’s initiatives.

But he wouldn’t be human if he did not feel a little apprehensive taking his first steps as a retired cricketer.

By Richard Spiller