Small was born in Barbados, and moved to England shortly after his fourteenth birthday, which at the time was past the normal cut-off for a change of cricketing nationality.

[4] Small was integral to the Warwickshire side of 1994, also featuring Dermot Reeve and Brian Lara, which won three major trophies, the County Championship, the Benson & Hedges Cup and the Axa Equity & Law League.

Small encountered early problems in his career with the no ball rule, on one occasion recording ten in a single over.

[5] But he overcame the issue to become a useful bowler for Warwickshire, and earned a Test debut for England against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 1986, retaining his place for the following match.

He took his best one-day international bowling of 4-31, again winning the Man of the Match award, in an England victory over the West Indies at his home county ground in Birmingham in 1988.

He was in the runs again the following year, making 44 not out as England beat New Zealand to record a rare series win,[16] but was dropped from the Test side thereafter.

[17] He played his last full international (a one-day international) in 1992,[18] although the following year he hit the winning run as England won the Hong Kong Sixes tournament,[19] also featuring in the squad that retained the title the following year.