Higgins to make debut in opening fixture
31 March 2018
Winter recruit Ryan Higgins will make his first appearance for Gloucestershire in the first class fixture against Cardiff MCCU at the Brightside Ground, starting on Easter Sunday. (11.00am)
The 23 year old all rounder, who stated that playing more red ball cricket was one of the reasons he made the move from Middlesex, gets an immediate chance to stake his claim for a place in the Championship team in what is also Chris Dent's first match as captain.
He will lead a side which has Benny Howell named as his opening partner, Gareth Roderick keeping wicket and two of the players to agree new one year deals in the autumn - Kieran Noema-Barnett and Chris Liddle - also included.
Gloucestershire Team :
Dent (c), Howell, Roderick, Hankins, J.Taylor, van Buuren, Higgins, Noema-Barnett, Miles, Liddle, M.Taylor.
Head coach Richard Dawson said "Everyone is itching to get onto the field and into a match situation now. We've practiced a lot and we cannot control the fact that we haven't played yet because of the weather. I want us to compete and play the conditions which are in front of us, and they could make batting challenging. It's not a given that we can force the pace of this game with bat or ball, and we certainly mustn't be complacent."
Cardiff MCCU have not played at the Brightside Ground since 2015, and their 2018 squad - coached by former Somerset and Glamorgan second eleven player Mark O'Leary - includes Cameron Herring, the wicket keeper from Abergavenny who spent three years on the Gloucestershire staff before released at the end of the 2015 season.
"Mark is a good coach who works hard with his team" Dawson continued. "I don't know too much about their squad, but for us it's the start of a learning curve with Chris Dent as captain. He's not a shouter, rather more level headed and a quiet thinker about the game.
He'll have his ways of doing things and we'll try and support him in the best way we can, as will the other players. He's matured as a person and he's open minded about how things are going to go. It's an exciting road for him."
Dent himself has the opportunity to reach 7,000 first class runs before the Championship season gets underway - he is currently nine runs short - and Craig Miles needs three wickets to break the 200 barrier in first class matches ahead of the trip to Kent which marks the start of the Division 2 schedule.
David Payne won't be fit for that after ankle surgery on Thursday - Richard Dawson admitted it was unlikely he would feature in the opening block of Championship games - but the news is better of Liam Norwell, who has been troubled by a hamstring injury.
"Liam's been bowling in the nets during the past week" Dawson concluded. "We're not going to rush him back or push him too hard because we don't want any repercussions but we're gradually building him up and he's coming along well."
Entry to the 3-day Cardiff MCC University match at The Brightside Ground, Bristol is FREE of charge for supporters.
This First Class fixture begins on Sunday 1 April with play scheduled to commence at 11.00 am each day.
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