County Championship Preview | Leicestershire vs Gloucestershire
16 May 2024
Having secured a much-needed first win of the season against Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire hit the road for the second consecutive week in the Vitality County Championship on Friday.
Leicestershire is the destination in round six of Division Two for Mark Alleyne’s side, who will be hoping that winning feeling propels Gloucestershire to another win at Grace Road. Only six points separate the two sides in the table with Leicestershire in third place with five draws from five matches on 68 points, and Gloucestershire in fifth place on 62 points with one win, one defeat, two draws and an abandonment so far this season.
Leicestershire had two full days’ worth of play abandoned against Middlesex at Lord’s last weekend with both teams settling for a draw. Gloucestershire, meanwhile, posted their best Championship performance of the season to secure victory over Northants. Centurions Cameron Bancroft and Miles Hammond starred with the bat while player of the match Marchant de Lange claimed an impressive eight-wicket-haul.
A win for either team this weekend could see them jump into the Division Two promotion places.
TEAM NEWS
Overseas signing Beau Webster makes the squad for the first time this season while Matt Taylor also makes the matchday squad having recovered from a toe injury. Last week's centurions Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft feature once again and will be looking to add more runs again at Grace Road.
Marchant de Lange has been forced to miss the trip to Leicester having rolled an ankle in the second innings against Northants. Ajeet Singh Dale also drops out of the squad, rested for this match.
Your 13-man squad to face Leicestershire:
van Buuren (c), Bancroft, Charlesworth L, Bracey, Webster, Taylor M, Price T, Middleton, Price O, Charlesworth B, Gohar, Hammond.
LAST MEETING
Gloucestershire’s two league meetings against Leicestershire in last season’s County Championship both ended in defeat, the most recent of which in September. In that match at the Seat Unique Stadium, the visitors left Bristol with a six-wicket win in what was a relatively low-scoring match. Wiaan starred with the ball for Leicestershire, taking eight wickets in the match.
HOW TO WATCH
Gloucestershire face Leicestershire in the Vitality County Championship Division Two at 11:00 on Friday 17th May at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester.
The match will be free to view via the Glos Cricket Match Centre, here
