England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart will retire from Test cricket after the five-match series against South Africa starting on Thursday.

Stewart, 40, who plays his 129th Test at Edgbaston this week, has scored 8,281 runs at an average of 40.19, including 15 centuries, since making his debut in 1989/90.

"I've given it a lot of thought, it's not something I've taken lightly," Stewart told a news conference.

"I could have left it until the end of the summer but I felt it was better to get it over now."

Stewart announced his retirement from one-day international cricket after this year's World Cup in South Africa.