Big Bash Winner Bancroft available for T20 opener at Cheltenham
6 July 2017
Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft will be unexpectedly available for the start of Gloucestershire's T20 campaign on Friday against Middlesex at the Cheltenham Festival.
Bancroft had been selected for an Australia "A" tour to South Africa but the trip was called off on Thursday morning because a pay structure had not been agreed with Cricket Australia.
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The 24 year old from Western Australia - who made an unbeaten half century in the Championship win over Glamorgan on Tuesday - will add to Gloucestershire's batting options as they face a powerful Middlesex team who have recruited specialist coach Daniel Vettori for the competition. Their overseas players, Brendan McCullum and Tim Southee, are also New Zealanders.
The Gloucestershire squad of 13 includes only six of the team that beat Glamorgan in the Championship earlier this week.
Gloucestershire squad
Klinger (c), Mustard, Cockbain, Bancroft, Hankins, J.Taylor, Howell, Roderick, Smith, Noema-Barnett, Payne, M.Taylor, Liddle.
T20 captain Michael Klinger believes the changes show Gloucestershire have a healthy range of options available for the opening fixture.
"We've got good flexibility so I'd like to think all the bases are covered" Klinger said.
"We can use a left hander at the top of the order in Phil Mustard, who batted there a lot for Durham, and we have three left arm bowling options as well as the two spinners."
"We do have to think about the middle order but Ian Cockbain had such a good tournament batting at number three last year I don't see any reason to move him, and we have enough all rounders to be able to play an extra batsman or bowler if we think the game demands it."
Friday's match is the ninth T20 game at Cheltenham. Gloucestershire have recorded four wins so far at the College Ground. Klinger says his players must try and use the extra preparation time over the last two days to their advantage.
"We had the luxury of winning our Championship game on Tuesday, whereas Middlesex will come straight here after a full four days at Edgbaston" he went on. "T20 cricket is about attitude over the three hours of the game, and I've always said if you give guys specific roles and they perform them well that's half the battle towards winning the match."
Middlesex haven't played at the Festival since 2012, when in a List A fixture their opening pair of Chris Rogers and Dawid Malan successfully chased down 215 to win without being parted. Malan has since worked his way into England's colours in white ball cricket, and Klinger acknowledges the visitors will be challenging opponents to face for the first match in the group.
"Brendon McCullum is an aggressive captain and they have a heap of international players so it should be a great spectacle" Klinger added. "Having said that, we have played teams like that before and come out on top. You have get momentum in the group games at some point, and if you can get it from the start, it does take the pressure off."
Sri Lankan all rounder Thisara Perera, who was signed last month as Gloucestershire's second overseas player after Andrew Tye became unavailable because of injury, arrives in time to be available for next Thursday's T20 clash with Kent at the College Ground.
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