Knighthood for Hampshire Cricket legend Gordon Greenidge

Greenidge, an opening batsman in the all-conquering West Indies side of the 1970s and 1980s, has been knighted on the recommendation of the government of his native Barbados.

He was a key player in the last Hampshire team to win the County Championship in 1973, when his legendary opening partnership with Barry Richards was at its peak.

In 16 seasons with Hampshire from 1970-87, Greenidge scored 19,840 runs in 275 first-class matches, at an average of 45.40.

That included 48 centuries and he also made 9,801 limited-overs runs for Hampshire at 38.43, including 20 hundreds.

Gordon Greenidge

Greenidge's Manchester-based former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, has also been knighted.

Several other cricketers were recognised in this year's New Year honours list, including Ben Stokes and other members of England's Cricket World Cup-winning squad.

All-rounder Stokes has been awarded an OBE after he grabbed the headlines in a dramatic summer of cricket.

He scored an unbeaten 84 as England became world champions with victory over New Zealand in July, and followed it up six weeks later with a match-winning 135 not out in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

Eoin Morgan, who captained the team to World Cup glory, has been made a CBE while wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and England's top run-scorer in the tournament and Test skipper Joe Root have both been given MBEs.

Australian Trevor Bayliss, the coach of England's World Cup-winning side, has been awarded an OBE while Colin Graves, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, receives a CBE.

Alan Knott, regarded as one of the game's greatest-ever wicketkeepers, was awarded an MBE.