Craig Spearman made his debut for New Zealand as an opening batsman in December 1995 against Pakistan at Christchurch. Despite reasonable success over the years, he struggled to secure a top-order batting position, and was mainly preferred for one-day matches. He scored a solitary Test hundred, 112 against Zimbabwe, and an average of only 26 did his talent no justice. Despite being considered as something of a one-day specialist he only averaged 18.72 in that form of the game. Spearman, who has a business-studies degree, decided to give up his New Zealand career in 2001, after 19 Tests and 51 one-dayers, for a career in banking, which brought him to London. It was there that John Bracewell, Gloucestershire coach at the time, asked if he fancied a few games at Bristol. He has not looked back since, and after a fairly ordinary international career has become one of the county's most consistent batsmen. In June 2004 he scored 341 for Gloucestershire against Middlesex in the County Championship, eclipsing a 128-year-old record previously held by WG Grace for the highest score by a Gloucestershire player. He committed his future to the county by signing a four-year contract at the end of 2004, and scored 1370 runs in the Championship in the 2006 season.
Freddie Auld