County Championship Preview | Kent v Gloucestershire
17 April 2025
After taking 15 points from the draw with Glamorgan at the Seat Unique Stadium last weekend, Gloucestershire are back in action this Friday as they make the three-hour journey down to Kent for their third game of the season.
Despite being a regular fixture in white-ball cricket, Gloucestershire have not faced Kent in the Rothesay County Championship since 2022, when Tom Price announced himself to the world with a hat trick and first career five-for at Canterbury.
In the Club's third fixture of the season, Glos will be targeting a first win following a good performance against Glamorgan in which they scored 546, including centuries from Cameron Bancroft and Ollie Price.
TEAM NEWS
Mark Alleyne makes three additions to the squad for the Kent fixture, with overseas signing Cameron Green set to make his Gloucestershire debut in the middle-order, replacing Chris Dent. The Australian could feature alongside Marchant de Lange and Dom Goodman who have both returned to full fitness and are available for selection. Ajeet Singh Dale has been rested for the trip to Canterbury, with Ed Middleton also dropping out.
Your Gloucestershire Men's squad to face Kent:
Cameron Bancroft (c), Zaman Akhter, James Bracey, Ben Charlesworth, Marchant de Lange, Dom Goodman, Cameron Green, Miles Hammond, Joe Phillips, Ollie Price, Tom Price, Josh Shaw, Matt Taylor, Graeme van Buuren.
VIEW FROM THE CAMP
LAST TIME OUT
Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft had been in the country only three days before hitting his first century of the domestic season, reaching 163 in imperious fashion on the first day against Glamorgan.
Glos scored 546 in their first innings thanks to Bancroft, who was supported excellently by Ollie Price, who scored his fifth career first-class hundred in a 230-run second-wicket stand with the Australian.
Zaman Akhter then took his first five-wicket haul of the campaign, with Glamorgan bowled out for 385 despite a century from Colin Ingram.
As Gloucestershire looked to be heading towards victory with three early wickets on day four, Ingram and Kiran Carlson dug in for the visitors to dash all hopes of victory before the rain began to fall in the final session.
Glos took 15 points from the game, but a 500+ score and fourteen wickets on a flat Bristol wicket show signs of encouragement.
OUR OPPONENTS
2024 was a difficult season for Kent as they failed to make 100 points in Division 1 and were relegated to Division 2. However, they have started this season with a bang winning both their opening games.
Last week, Kent won convincingly at Lord's against hosts Middlesex. The eight-wicket win was helped in no small part by standout performances from Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye. Compton’s unbeaten 124* came in front of his very own grandfather’s stand at Lords.
Zimbabwean Muyeye is Kent’s top scorer so far this season, who along with his Lord's hundred, hit a determined 72 against Northamptonshire which helped Kent to their first win of the season.
Keith Dudgeon, who took seven wickets in Northants' second innings, has withdrawn from Kent’s camp following a knee injury.
LAST MEETING
A lot has happened since Kent last played Gloucestershire in the Rothesay County Championship, including three new prime ministers, a new Beatles song, and a first Vitality Blast win for Glos. However, there are still a few familiar faces on both sides.
The most notable moment of the game occurred when Tom Price took a hat-trick on his way to taking a maiden professional five-for. New Zealand international Glenn Phillips also scored 125 for the Shire, but it was not enough to prevent Kent winning by eight wickets.
The most recent battle between the two was a rain-affected Vitality Blast fixture in Cheltenham in July 2024. It was one of the few losses for Gloucestershire during the tournament, as the DLS method awarded Kent Spitfires the victory by just eight runs.
HOW TO WATCH
Gloucestershire face Kent in the Rothesay County Championship at the Spitfire Ground, Canterbury at 11am on Friday 18 April.
The match will be streamed live via the Glos Cricket Match Centre.
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