County Championship Preview | Durham v Gloucestershire
9 July 2023
Following the conclusion of the Vitality Blast campaign for Gloucestershire, the Club are back in action with the red ball on Monday for the first of three consecutive County Championship matches.
Durham are the opponents for the Division Two clash and currently sit atop the table with four wins from eight. Glos will hope to close the gap to the northeast side with a first win of the season.
The 2023 Visit Cayman Islands Cheltenham Cricket Festival returns in July!
Tickets for Shire’s four-day match against Glamorgan beginning on July 20th available here.
Team news
Thirteen players make the trip north with James Bracey captaining a side that will be without the services of Graeme van Buuren after the South African all-rounder strained his side in the Vitality Blast match against Hampshire Hawks last Sunday.
Joe Phillips, Tom Price and van Buuren are replaced by Dom Goodman, Paul van Meekeren and Jack Taylor in the squad. Goodman could make a first start of the season after fully recovering from a side strain that kept him out of the start of the campaign.
Tom Price is rested for the match as a precaution following lower back stiffness but should return for the first match of the Cheltenham Cricket Festival against Glamorgan.
David Payne misses the trip to Durham as he looks to manage his schedule having had ankle surgery earlier on in the season.
Ajeet Singh Dale also misses out due to a knee injury.
Your 13-player Gloucestershire squad to face Durham:
James Bracey*, Zaman Akhter, Ben Charlesworth, Chris Dent, Zafar Gohar, Dom Goodman, Miles Hammond, Ollie Price, Grant Roelofsen, Josh Shaw, Paul van Meekeren, Jack Taylor, Matt Taylor.
Last time out
Gloucestershire drew to Yorkshire at the end of June thanks to a brilliant all-round display by Ollie Price. The 22-year-old hit a maiden first-class century on the final day at Headingley, holding his nerve after being 97* overnight.
His 113 was part of the record-breaking seventh-wicket stand for Gloucestershire against Yorkshire. The partnership with brother Tom Price was also the highest stand for any set of brothers for the Club. The 162 runs put on by the two youngsters eclipsed a 151-year record set by WG & EM Grace when they hit a partnership of 156 against Nottinghamshire in 1872.
Our opponents
Durham have four wins in this season’s competition and will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table, boosting promotion hopes in the process.
Wicket-keeper Ollie Robinson has been in excellent form with the bat since signing from Kent Spitfires in the winter. His 734 runs in the competition is the third highest in the division.
Durham will, however, be without Ashes squad member Matthew Potts, who has 34 wickets in this season’s County Championship.
Last meeting
Glos v Durham in May was Gloucestershire’s first loss of the season and the first time a Shire fixture was uninterrupted by rain.
Six wickets in the match for spinner Zafar Gohar was not enough to stop Durham from winning by 125 runs on day four when a resolute partnership between Marcus Harris and Josh Shaw only postponed the inevitable.
How to watch
Gloucestershire face Durham in the County Championship beginning on Monday 10 July at 11am at the Seat Unique Riverside.
The game can be watched live in the Glos Cricket Match Centre. Coverage begins at 10:40.
