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I want to see us nail winning positions : Dawson

5 September 2016

Head coach Richard Dawson says the biggest lesson his Gloucestershire players can learn in the remaining three Championship matches is how to convert matches where they are on top into victories that could push them above last season's sixth placed finish.

While last week's draw at Derby was spoiled by a washout on the final day, Dawson believes a greater grip could have been taken earlier in the match so that Gloucestershire could have finished things off before the weather came into play.

"There were two opportunities to drive the result" Dawson said. "The first one came when we were level on first innings with five wickets in hand and with Phil Mustard and Jack Taylor still in. We got a lead of 89 but there was a chance to make it 150 or even 200, and then at tea on the third day we had the new ball available with Derbyshire ahead by 135 and we didn't make the best use of it."

"It was good that Chris Dent made runs again and that Phil Mustard made his first century for us, and it took a lot of hard graft to get into those positions. We have some young players who have not been in that sort of position a lot, and you have to take advantage of them and put the game to bed."

With Graeme van Buuren still unavailable because of a side strain, Dawson has added Matt Taylor and spinner Tom Smith - who hasn't played any Championship cricket this summer -  to the 11 on duty at Derby, and will pick his bowling attack when he has seen the Swalec Stadium pitch.

"We took Tom to Hove for the Sussex game because we wanted to cover all our options, and it's the same here" Dawson went on. "I've nothing against Tom but it isn't very often that you play two spinners. Jack Taylor held his own with the ball earlier in the season and when he was unable to bowl at Leicester and at Cheltenham we still had Graeme van Buuren in the team."

Squad :                                                                                                                                                         Roderick (c), Dent, Tavare, Hankins, Marshall, Mustard, J. Taylor, Miles, Payne, Norwell, Shaw, M. Taylor, Smith.

Gloucestershire have already beaten Glamorgan in the Championship this season, Jack Taylor taking 4-16 on the final day at the Brightside Ground to give Gloucestershire victory by 125 runs back in May. They were soundly beaten at Northampton in their last game having twice been bowled out cheaply, and Richard Dawson is expecting a reaction.

"They had a tough week so we have to be prepared for them to respond hard to that" he said. "Van der Gugten has done well for them this season and they have experience in Wagg and Hogan so that's a decent bowling attack. The message to the boys will be the same as it usually is - if we're not on our game we won't get anywhere. All of them have something to play for from a personal point of view and a team point of view. There is no thought that a long season only has three weeks to go."

Coverage :
You can follow the match via the live scorecard available on the website, or via Twitter @Gloscricket.

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