Gloucestershire have announced a pre-tax profit of £163,000 for the year ending September 1997.

This is particularly surprising as officials had feared that one of the wettest summers in living memory would have hit profits hard.

They benifited from a 15% increase in revenue from test matches but feel that they could have done even better without the appalling weather. Rain wiped out three of Gloucestershires five Sunday League at Bristol but losses caused by the weather were wiped out by record profits from marketing and sponsorship and membership also reached a record high. The visit of the Australians, from which Gloucestershire earned their record gate receipts, and a successful Cheltenham festival also helped to boost profits.

Gloucestershire have already sold £75,000 of membership and are expecting to make a bigger profit next year with a more attractive fixture list and the prospect of the world cup in 1999.