Craig Spearman      

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