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Fuller Set To Miss Northants Game

20 April 2013

James Fuller has been added to Gloucestershire's early season injury list after breaking a finger on the final day of the opening LV=Championship game with Essex at Chelmsford.

The young pace bowler joins Ian Saxelby and Paul Muchall on the sidelines and there will have to be a change to the seam attack for the first home game of the season against Northamptonshire, starting on Wednesday.

Fuller sustained his injury near the end of the Essex game when he caught James Foster off the bowling of Benny Howell for 51.

With Saxelby still under treatment for a shoulder problem and Muchall recovering from a cartilage operation, it is a blow Gloucestershire could have done without.

Skipper Michael Klinger told this website: "James hurt himself taking the catch which earned us a bonus point. It was particularly unfortunate as the match was almost over.

"The good thing is that several of our young seamers performed well in the second XI win over Surrey at The Oval so we know that the likes of Graeme McCarter, Craig Miles and Matt Taylor are in good form."

Michael was encouraged by the performance at Chelmsford where Gloucestershire were soundly beaten at the same time last year.

This time they secured nine bonus points from a drawn game, having posted 409-5 declared in their first innings, with Dan Housego and Hamish Marshall scoring centuries.

"I have told the batsmen that I don't mind which individuals score the runs as long as we consistently produce as a unit," said Michael.

"Our top seven must perform as a group on a regular basis and that certainly happened against Essex. There was a lot to be pleased about.

"Our bowling came up slightly short, but it was the first game and I expect the bowlers to be that bit sharper against Northants."

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