Gloucestershire spinner Tom Smith announces retirement, aged 37

Tom Smith, Gloucestershire's long-serving left-arm spinner, has announced that he will retire from professional cricket at the end of his club's T20 Blast campaign.

Smith, 37, has claimed 154 T20 wickets for Gloucestershire since joining in 2013 - placing him second in the club's standings, and fifth in the all-time T20 Blast stats - and has picked up 301 wickets across all formats.

Last season, he was part of the team that memorably claimed the T20 Blast title with victory over Somerset at Edgbaston, while he also won the One-Day Cup with the club back in 2015.

Last November, he signed a one-year contract extension that kept him on the playing staff while also working with the Gloucestershire coaching team. However, he has featured just five times this season, and with the club unlikely to reach the Blast quarter-finals, Thursday's match against Sussex at Cheltenham is shaping up as his final home match.

"It feels like the right time," Smith wrote in an open letter on the club's website. "Over the past few seasons, I've been fortunate to begin building a coaching career alongside playing, and I'm now ready to give that my full focus.

"To Gloucestershire, thank you for believing in me. These past 13 seasons have been incredibly special for both me and my family. From playing a part in the club's promotion to Division One to winning two white-ball trophies, they've been the best days I've had on a cricket field."

In his letter, Smith also paid tribute to the club's fans and staff for the support they offered him back in 2018, following the death of his wife Laura.

"The Glosters dressing room is full of not just brilliant cricketers, but even better people. It's been an honour to share it with them," he wrote. "2018 was the hardest year of my life … the love and support I received from everyone at the club during that time meant more than I can ever say.

"Finally to my family, my three beautiful daughters and my partner, Georgie, thank you for your love, patience, and support. You've been my rock, and now, hopefully, I'll get to spend more time watching your matches."

Mark Alleyne, Gloucestershire's head coach, paid his own tribute to Smith as he moves full-time into a coaching career.

"While Tom played more than 50 first-class matches, it's in white-ball cricket where he truly excelled," Alleyne said. "With 186 appearances, he has been one of the most consistent spinners in the country.

"As he begins a new chapter in coaching, we're confident he'll approach it with the same energy and skill that defined his playing career. He's already made great strides in this area, and while the transition is expected to be seamless, we will never forget the outstanding contribution he has made to Gloucestershire cricket."