The Cambridge-born player looked capable of establishing himself in the first team during four Championship appearances in 2002 but a cruciate knee ligament injury then hampered his progress for the next two seasons. Wintered well in Australia ahead of the 2005 campaign and was rewarded for his persistence with appearances at both Championship and one-day level. After making his Championship debut as far back as August 1999 at Kent he finally became a mainstay in the side in 2006. Phillips took more Championship wickets – 34 – than any other Essex bowler that season. In addition he played a major role in Essex’s NatWest Pro40 title-winning campaign with 12 wickets @ 14.58 while he returned the County’s most economical bowling figures in Twenty20 Cup cricket of 4-0-11-2. Having scored heavily in 2nd XI cricket, Phillips was aiming to push his claims for all-rounder status during the 2007 season. Despite being pushed up the order to play as a specialist batsman – after a shoulder injury ended his bowling duties for the season prematurely – the campaign just gone will go down as a disappointing one for the all-rounder. Some encouraging performances during the 2008 pre-season trip to the United Arab Emirates suggest brighter times are just round the corner.