Michael Cawdron is one of many 'nearly men' in English cricket. Certainly he
is a talented, committed bowling all-rounder capable of much. He never
managed however, to secure a regular place in a talented Gloucestershire
side, and his move to Northamptonshire could finally secure him regular
first team cricket. At 27, hopes for higher honours have all but vanished,
but Cawdron still has time to become a decent first-class player.
After four years on the Gloucestershire staff, Cawdron eventually made
his first-class debut in 1999, celebrating with three five wicket hauls in
his first three matches. He also figured in Gloucestershire's golden 1999
and 2000 seasons, where the Bristol-based club won five one-day trophies.
His form in these matches was varied, sometimes impressing with swing and
seam rather than raw pace. Unfortunately, these good performances were
punctuated by nervy, confidence-crushing spells, where he was targeted as
the weak link of the attack.
A first-class bowling average of under 25 reflects Cawdron's potential.
However, the fact that he only made six CricInfo Championship appearances in
2001, in a team missing Mike Smith and John Lewis through injury, perhaps
suggests the lack of confidence the club had in him. His accuracy in one-day
games in 2001 was good, and he may have felt aggrieved not to have made more
performances.
Gloucestershire released Mike Cawdron at the end of the 2001 season,
preferring to place their faith in younger players. He was quickly snapped
up by Northamptonshire, and is likely to figure heavily in their set-up,
bolstering a below average bowling attack. (Sean Beynon, Copyright CricInfo
January 2002)
