Five players to leave Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire CCC have announced that they will not be offering new contracts to Mike Cawdron, Tom Cotterell, Damian Forder and Michael Sutliff.

Reggie Williams is also to leave the club after it was decided that Steven Pope would keep wicket for the Second XI next season. Williams, who was capped in 1996, has requested to pursue his career at another county and will be a List Two registered player.

Williams deputised for 'Jack' Russell for the first half of this season, and performed so well that Bob Woolmer judged him as one of the best five wicketkeepers in the country and a possible successor to Alec Stewart in the England job.

Cawdron hit 50 off 32 balls on his one-day league debut, and scored 42 and took 5-35 on his first-class debut against Hampshire. He took two more five-wicket hauls in his next two championship games, and played in the 1999 NatWest Final against Somerset.

Gloucestershire believe that his opportunities at the club will be limited, and feel that a move to another county may be beneficial.