Cosgrove cut from South Australia list

Mark Cosgrove, who played for Australia in 2006, has missed out on a contract with South Australia to end an eventful eight years with the state. A gifted left-hander, Cosgrove has often struggled with the demands of first-class cricket, with his weight and fitness analysed as closely as his batting average.

While still only 25, Cosgrove has been over-looked because Jamie Cox, the state's director of cricket, said he had not fulfilled his potential. "Mark has made a valuable contribution to South Australian cricket over many years, and I certainly hope there are other opportunities out there for him," Cox said. "We have worked hard with him during this time, but the unfortunate reality is that we were unable to help him fulfil his full potential."

The decision comes after Cosgrove scored 511 first-class runs in 2009-10, including two hundreds, and also averaged more than 40 in the one-day competition. He contributed as South Australia progressed to the Twenty20 domestic final, but will not be part of the squad for the lucrative Champions League later in the year. The good news for Cosgrove, who appeared in three ODIs in 2006, is he has interest from two other states.