Alex Optimistic About One-Day Success In 2013
27 December 2012
Alex Gidman believes Gloucestershire have developed the skills to do well in both domestic one-day competitions in 2013.
The team reached the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 last season before losing a high-scoring game against Sussex at Hove and produced some good displays in the Clydesdale Bank 40 without being consistent enough to qualify from their group.
Alex has been casting an eye over next season’s fixtures for this website and believes a good start in both competitions is both possible and essential.
Gloucestershire will be taking T20 cricket to the Cheltenham Festival for the first time, with matches against Warwickshire, Northants and Glamorgan, a prospect the former skipper finds particularly appealing.
Alex said: “The College Ground is an amazing place to play any type of cricket and for T20 games the atmosphere and the buzz there will be unbelievable.
“It will be pretty intimidating for our opponents and a hugely exciting venue for us. We get such good crowds there and for a lot of the supporters in that region it will be a first chance to see T20 live.”
Also in Gloucestershire’s T20 group are Somerset and Worcestershire, neither of whom should hold any fears for Alex and his team-mates after last season’s performances.
“We had a bit of luck in 20-over cricket last year, but we created it with some very good displays and we should be looking to build on reaching the quarter-finals,” he said..
“We have some tough opposition in the group, but equally some teams that we should beat home and away.
“As we learned last year, momentum is vitally important in T20. We need to achieve it earlier in next season’s competition by getting some victories under our belts early on.
“It is very difficult playing catch-up. Our performance in beating Somerset at Taunton last season showed that if we execute our skills properly we are capable of overcoming any opposition on a particular day.
“We have to remember that and also that in T20 if you fail to turn up any opponents can take you apart.”
The 2013 CB40 campaign begins with two away games against Leicestershire and Unicorns, while Middlesex, Glamorgan, Yorkshire and Somerset await in Group C.
Alex said: “I think we have a good group and I see a massive opportunity to get going quickly in this competition.
“Our first five games are all winnable and, although we begin with a couple of away fixtures, I definitely feel we should be looking to make a fast start.
“We are certainly capable of beating Leicestershire and Unicorns and if we can get a bit of momentum going I see no reason why we shouldn’t do really well.
“We have played some decent 40-over cricket in recent seasons and our skill levels are constantly improving.
“Our boundary count is increasing and our death bowling is better than it used to be so we just need to add that vital element of consistency.
“I am looking forward to playing in the format again and I believe we can finish in one of the top two places in our group.”
