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Glos v Hampshire | Match Preview

5 August 2021

With just two points separating Gloucestershire in seventh place and third-placed Worcestershire, everything is still to play for in the Royal London Cup as Hampshire make the trip to Bristol this Friday.

Both sides are part of the chasing pack in Group Two with two wins under their belt, alongside Durham and Middlesex. A win will keep either county’s hopes of qualification alive while a loss would all but end any aspirations.

Gloucestershire v Hampshire | Live on the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE | 11:00am Start Time

Gloucestershire are yet to win a match at home in the competition, losing to Lancashire, Worcestershire and Essex; the current top three sides in the group.

Aside from being motivated to progress in the competition, Ian Harvey’s squad may be even more motivated given that Hampshire leapfrogged them on the final day of both Vitality Blast and County Championship group stages.

The Shire will need bigger contributions from the top order if they are to pose a threat to Hampshire. Jack Taylor and George Scott, who have been batting at six and seven predominantly, are the team’s leading scorers. Both men are averaging above 40 and account for three of the Club’s six half-centuries in this year’s competition.

Harvey will have a tough decision to make lower down the order with competition for places amongst the bowling unit very high.

Spinners Tom Smith and Graeme van Buuren are two of the first names on the team sheet but that leaves room for just three seamers between Josh Shaw, Matt Taylor, Jared Warner and Dan Worrall.

Taylor was exceptional in the last outing against Essex Eagles with two wickets for 22 runs and three maidens in his ten over allocation. Both Shaw and Worrall have taken six wickets so far in the Royal London Cup and both have taken four-fers in matches where they were the only Gloucestershire wicket-takers. Warner has played in the last three matches and took 3/42 against Sussex and also came desperately close to winning the previous match against Essex.

Interim Head Coach Ian Harvey has named an unchanged squad for tomorrow’s match:

Hampshire are coming into tomorrow’s match having just beaten Worcestershire comfortably with 61 balls remaining. Kyle Abbott took a career best 5/43 while Alsop and Gubbins both made half-centuries to carry their team to victory.

Gubbins has been in scintillating batting form for Hampshire since making the move from Middlesex in July. The former England Lion, Gubbins has made an unbeaten century of 131 in the competition to go alongside his two half-centuries. That, straight after making 137* and 13* at Cheltenham College to steal a place in Division One of the County Championship away from Gloucestershire.

Tom Alsop has contributed well to start his campaign, making two half-centuries in three innings while opening the batting. Their other opener, Tom Prest has yet to really get going in the competition but the Gloucestershire bowlers will be familiar with the 18-year-old who made 59* against them in the Vitality Blast earlier this summer.

In the absence of Dawson, Crane, Wood and Wheal, bowling responsibilities have been taken up by 20-year-old South African John Turner. He has taken a wicket in each match so far and bowled 3/44 to help his side beat Worcestershire.

Holland, Organ and former Gloucestershire man James Fuller will likely make up the rest of the visitors bowling attack with a few bonus overs from Gubbins or Currie a potential.

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