Brian Close, who died on Monday aged 84, had a Test career that lasted nearly 27 years
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2015Brian Close (England)
Span: 26 years and 356 days (July 1949 – July 1976)
Trivia: Close was also a talented footballer – he made one appearance for Arsenal and six each for Bradford City and Leeds United•PA PhotosFrank Woolley (England)
Span: 25 years and 13 days (August 1909 – August 1934)
Trivia: Woolley is the second highest run-getter in first-class cricket. Only Jack Hobbs has scored more than the 58,959 runs Woolley amassed in 978 matches.•Getty ImagesGeorge Headley (West Indies)
Span: 24 years and 10 days (January 1930 – January 1954)
Trivia: Headley was born in Panama but was taken to Jamaica, aged 10, to improve his English which would enable him study dentistry in the United States. Had there not been a delay in getting his passport for the US, he might have been lost to the game.•PA PhotosSachin Tendulkar (India)
Span: 24 years and 1 day (November 1989 – November 2013)
•BCCI