County Championship preview | Gloucestershire vs Northamptonshire
28 August 2024
Gloucestershire host their second County Championship match in as many weeks on Thursday as Northamptonshire come to town in matchday 11 of Division Two.
Mark Alleyne’s side will feel confident of doing the double over their league rivals this weekend having already recorded a victory against the Midlanders earlier this season. Northants currently sit at the foot of Division Two on 100 points while Gloucestershire sit in fifth place on 119 points, some 28 points of Middlesex in second place.
In that return leg in Northampton in May, Gloucestershire ran out as winners by a 256-run margin thanks to a well-rounded bowling and batting display. Centuries from Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft were back up by Marchant de Lange, who claimed eight wickets in the match to stunt the hosts’ batting firepower.
Gloucestershire are yet to win a County Championship match since that victory, however, and with a win this week could close the gap to the all-important promotion places.
Northants, meanwhile, will be looking for their first win of the season during their visit to Bristol.
TEAM NEWS
Mark Alleyne selects a 13-man squad for the visit of Northamptonshire and is boosted by the return of both Zafar Gohar and Tom Price following lengthy absences due to injury.
Ed Middleton, Jack Taylor and Josh Shaw make way in an otherwise unchanged squad from the one selected to face Leicestershire last week.
13-man squad to face Northamptonshire:
OUR OPPONENTS
Northamptonshire sit in eighth place in Division Two having failed to win any of their 10 matches so far this season. They have, however, drawn seven matches but have lost their last two against table toppers Middlesex and Sussex.
In their most recent outing against Middlesex at Northwood, the hosts claimed an eight wicket win to further aid their push for promotion back to Division One.
Toby Roland-Jones claimed 11 match wickets as Middlesex’s bowling proved to be too strong for Northants’ batting line-up.
HOW TO WATCH
Gloucestershire take on Leicestershire in the Vitality Blast County Championship at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol, on Thursday 22nd August.
If you can’t join us on Thursday, you can watch the match live in the Glos Cricket Match Centre here
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