BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | B and H Cup Final

BBC Sport Online speculates that Gloucestershire's dominance of domestic limited overs cricket may be over.

If Jack Russell is to be believed, rumours of Gloucestershire's demise as a one-day force may be premature.

The kings of domestic limited overs cricket were dethroned by a super-powered Surrey on Saturday in the B&H Cup final to end a spectacularly successful couple of seasons for the west country county.

After overachieving in recent years to claim back-to-back NatWest (now C&G) Trophy and B&H Cup titles the little county with collective toughness showed what could be achieved in the one-day game.

Devoid of any real stars, bar Australian international Ian Harvey, the side, gelled into a unit by coach John Bracewell and skipper Mark Alleyne, set a new standard for others to follow.

John Bracewell
Bracewell helped mould the side into a tough unit
Sadly for their supporters, others have taken notice of the way their success was achieve.

With more bullets in their guns to play with than Alleyne's side could muster, Surrey showed than a good big 'un will always beat a good small 'un.

The B&H defeat may not have come as much of a surprise, but when Durham beat them in the C&G Trophy it showed the smaller counties had learnt from Gloucestershire's example.

Alleyne said his county had sat back and rested on their laurels rather than looking for new ways to make the most of their talents in the one-day arena.

"If you look to stand still, you are asking for trouble.

"You have got to stay one step ahead of the game. You have got to keep evolving in this game.

"If you think you can just win and just stay still, then you will become a loser sooner or later.

Kim Barnett
Barnett is one of the side's veterans
"We have to make sure we are better and better - and even though we have lost a couple of games I believe we are a better unit than two years ago when this run of success started.

"But this year teams we have played have been totally different to previously with their strategy. Everyone is trying things to combat our style.

"We do not think we will go downhill. We've won four cup finals on the trot and lost another to a very formidable Surrey side.

"But we are very conscious of the fact that if you look to stand still then you are asking for trouble.

"We want individuals to keep developing their game and as a team we want to further develop our game - not just in the one-day format but also the four-day game.

Gloucestershire: One-day marvels
But with a side that is now showing that age is starting to catch up with it - Russell and Kim Barnett are now regarded as veterans - Gloucestershire will need their crop of young players to emerge to take them to the next level.

Wicketkeeper Russell, whose fighting half-century as a makeshift opener proved in vain, insisted: "I think this team will be coming back to Lord's again.

"This team has got a lot more to offer. We are looking to go forward. It's not the end of the road by a long way."

If anyone chose to rule out Gloucestershire it could be at their peril, but for now they are no longer unbeatable in the one-day game.