Club Captain Graeme van Buuren steps down after three seasons
17 January 2025
After three years leading the County Championship team, Graeme van Buuren will step down as Club Captain.
The all-rounder will continue to feature across all three formats in 2025 as he returns his full focus to capabilities as a middle-order batter and left-arm othodox spinner.
Across three seasons as red ball skipper, van Buuren scored 1668 runs at an average of 37.07 with four hundreds.
In his first season leading Gloucestershire’s red ball set up, van Buuren led the Shire to wins over Warwickshire at Bristol and Yorkshire at Headingley. His high score of 127* at Cheltenham in 2022 helped set up an aggressive declaration against Northants, a match Glos narrowly lost by two wickets on the final day.
2023 was a standout year for his batting, as he averaged over 51 across 14 innings. He showed grit and determination batting at six against Sussex and Derbyshire in Bristol to rescue draws from unlikely positions.
Last season, van Buuren led the team to two victories in Division Two, firstly at Northants and then at Lord’s. In May, the 34-year-old hit his highest score in Gloucestershire colours – 187 against Derbyshire at Bristol.
In July, Gloucestershire faced Glamorgan at Cheltenham, where van Buuren showcased his captaincy prowess on the final day. The ten wickets claimed on day four on a flattening pitch resulted in the highest-scoring tie in County Championship history.
With the ball, van Buuren picked up 22 wickets as captain, his best return being 3/53 against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl in May 2022.
The former captain wrote an open letter to Members, supporters, staff and teammates, which can accessed by clicking the link below.
Graeme van Buuren’s open letter
Reflecting on van Buuren’s tenure as skipper, Head Coach Mark Alleyne said:
“Graeme’s news was received with some trepidation, but I feel fully assured that he has given this a lot of thought.
“Whilst in his leadership post, he has conducted himself in a first-class manner and serves as a great example of what a good leader should look and behave like.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with GVB, and he represents everything I would like in a Gloucestershire player. His loyalty and authenticity are characteristics that resonate very well with me.
“As you all know, a County season keeps on giving and can take its toll on the best of us in the way that Captaincy can as well.
“I truly admire the stint he has done for us and look forward to some more good work as he rejoins the ‘pack’.”
Discussions about a replacement for van Buuren are ongoing. A successor will be announced before the beginning of the season.
Send Graeme van Buuren your message
If you would like to send a message to Graeme for his contribution as Club Captain, you can fill out a form on our website by clicking the link below.
Membership renewal prices rise on Saturday 01 February 2025
Renew your Membership at the Early Bird price today to be at the heart of the action throughout 2025 as Mark Alleyne’s side look to defend their Vitality Blast title and challenge for promotion back to Division One of the County Championship.
