By Simon Mann Test Match Special commentator

All good things come to an end and that could be about to happen to Gloucestershire.

Chris Taylor was a surprise choice as new Championship skipper

They capped several years of success with the best all-round season in their history in 2003, gaining promotion in the Championship, winning the C&G Trophy, reaching semi-finals day in the Twenty/20 Cup and finishing runners-up in the National League.

It will be an impossible act to follow.

Shorn of their Australian talisman, Ian Harvey, and coach John Bracewell, their remarkable period of domination in one-day cricket is unlikely to continue and they will struggle to maintain their newly-won place in the Championship's top flight.

A year ago Bracewell's departure would not have seemed such a significant loss as he fell out with many in the team in 2002 and results suffered.

But the subsequent departures of Jeremy Snape and Kim Barnett appeared to solve the problem and last season it was business as usual.

Mark Alleyne will coach the Championship team and captain the side in one-day matches.

No-one was more surprised than Chris Taylor to be named as Alleyne's successor as Championship skipper.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE'S 2003 RECORD County Championship: 3rd, Division Two (promoted) National League: 2nd, Division One C&G Trophy: Winners Twenty20 Cup: Semi-finalists

Taylor made a dramatic start to his career, becoming the first player ever to score a championship century at Lord's on debut in 2000. But he has not lived up to that promise and played only four games last season.

Craig Spearman led the team when Alleyne was injured last season and might have expected to take over. He was overlooked because the club were keen not to increase the burden on their main batsmen.

Two Pakistanis have been signed to replace Jonty Rhodes and Harvey as the club's overseas players.

Shoaib Malik, an off-spinning all-rounder, played a handful of games last season without notable success apart from a match-winning innings in the semi-finals of the C&G Trophy.

Shabbir Ahmed is a rangy fast bowler who has been involved in his country's series against India. Despite a questionable action which has undergone remedial work, he is clearly talented.

Whether he can make an impact in his first season in English conditions remains to be seen.

Shabbir is tally and rangy and quicker than he looks

Veteran Mike Smith is hoping to play some part in the season but his career has been increasingly beset by injury so a heavy burden will fall again on Jon Lewis.

He was superb last season, taking 74 championship wickets, while Alex Gidman has emerged as a player of genuine potential.

He was selected to captain the England A team on their tour of India only to be forced to return home because of a finger injury.

Rhodes apart, Gloucestershire's batting was strongest in the one-day game in 2003 with Spearman and Matt Windows having excellent seasons.

They will need to reproduce that form in the Championship if the team are not to struggle from the start.

Jack Russell, 40 in August, will again attempt to galvanise the team from behind the stumps but, realistically, their chances of staying up are slim - and without Harvey and Rhodes their glorious era in the one-day game is surely at an end.