A promising cricketer had taken a cocktail of class A drugs and alcohol before fleeing from police and being hit by a tube train, an inquest has heard.

Surrey batsman Tom Maynard, who lived in Wandsworth, was found on the District Line tracks between Wimbledon Park and Southfields at just after 5am on Monday, June 18, 2012.

Westminster Coroners Court heard this morning how Mr Maynard, 23, was drinking in The Ship pub in Wandsworth on the previous Sunday evening.

He had been enjoying a post- match drink with friends before continuing to drink at home in Althorp Road, Wandsworth, before moving on to a nighclub in Mayfair.

At about 3.30am he left to see her girlfriend, taking his black Mercedes insured by Surrey Cricket Club.

He was seen by Wandsworth police officers at in an unmarked car at Penworth Road before he drove "at speed" down Durnsford Road.

Police pursued Maynard, who drove into Ryfold Road and tried to do a u-turn next to Wimbledon mosque before he was blocked in by the police car.

Unable to reverse due to a barrier, Maynard fled on foot and was last seen by police running towards Melrose Avenue and turning right.

Wimbledon Times: Maynard map

PC David Wishart told the court he found Mr Maynard’s blackberry phone in the car, which was logged into Facebook under the name Thomas Maynard.

A police dog unit was called, but Maynard was not found until nearly an hour later, when a tube driver sounded the alarm after hitting a man at 39mph while travelling on the first tube between Wimbledon Park and Southfields at 5.03am.

Matthew Hopping, the driver, told the court he thought he saw a white ballast but: "I then noticed to my horror white training shoes on the left and realised what I was seeing was a person.

"It was perfectly still across the four live rails.

He added: "It didn't look like it had fallen but rather this person had lay down, although I had no way of knowing this."

PC Steve Tucker, from British Transport Police, revealed their investigation concluded Mr Maynard had probably accessed the train track by climbing up a wall on Revelstoke Road, at the entrance to Wimbledon Park.

He said: "That is where the point of impact occurred. I spoke to a witness who lives in Revelstoke Road; she said she heard something at that time, the sound of someone gaining access to the tracks.

"But there is a slight anomaly because this was not seen by CCTV from the off-licence on the corner [McClusky's]."

"The police concluded Mr Maynard died in non-suspicious circumstances and was reported being hit by the train at 5.03am, exactly 50 minutes after he fled from the two police officers in Ryfold Road.

A post mortem examination would later find Maynard was nearly four times over the legal limit for drinking while driving.

Examination of his hair and urine also revealed traces of cocaine, MDMA and nicotine.

Further tests on the cricketers hair showed Maynard used cocaine "on a daily basis" over the last three-and-a-half months.

His bereaved girlfriend, glamour model Carly Baker, wept in the public gallery as tributes were made to the upcoming cricketer, including from his father Matthew Maynard, who was not present in court.

In a written statement, Mr Maynard said: "Tom was a consummate professional.... He drank alcohol the right amount and enjoyed himself with the lads."

Mr Maynard's teamates denied any knowledge Mr Maynard had regularly used cocaine, which would have meant an automatic two-year ban from the game if discovered.

UPDATE (4.30pm): A verdict of "accidental death" was returned by the jury at Westminster Coroner's Court.