John Bracewell Review Of The Season Part One
3 November 2014
John Bracewell believes that within two years Gloucestershire will have one of the best bowling attacks in the entire LV= County Championship.
Reflecting on the 2014 campaign in four-day cricket, the Club’s Director of Cricket pointed to the loss through injury of Ian Saxelby, who was forced to retire, and Craig Miles and James Fuller, both ruled out for long periods, as reasons for a disappointing seventh place finish in Division Two.
But, never one to offer excuses, John also admitted that shortcomings in the batting department had also contributed to the failure to mount a promotion challenge.
He told this website: “Not getting our main bowling attack out for pretty much the whole season undoubtedly had a major effect.
“But we can’t overlook the fact that our batsmen didn’t get enough runs. There were superb batting conditions throughout the season, yet we didn’t score to the same extent as we had done the previous summer.
“While it was great to see Will Tavare at 1,000 runs in his debut season and Alex Gidman pass the same landmark, in Alex’s case more than 400 of his runs came in his last four innings.
“We were well down on our batting numbers, but I was really pleased with the progress our bowlers made, particularly considering the weather and the good wickets they had to bowl on.
John believes there is still huge potential in the seam bowling ranks, with the likes of David Payne, Liam Norwell, Craig Miles, James Fuller and Matt Taylor still learning and progressing.
He said: “We have managed to secure them all on long-term contracts and I believe that next year we will have the best bowling attack in the Second Division Championship.
“That includes our spinners, Tom Smith, Chris Dent and Miles Hammond. Within two years I think we will have one of the best bowling attacks in the country.
“Miles Hammond has just finished school and comes out of the England Under-19s. He is a genuine turner of the ball and an all-rounder so he will add great value to our squad in terms of being able to play all forms of the game.
“I’m really delighted with the bowling group and the fact that the majority are secured until the end of the 2017 season, which gives us a chance help them mature and compete even more strongly.
“I had umpires coming off the field in our recent games and asking me who the big ginger-haired kid was! Liam Norwell has been with us for three years, but he now has the confidence of getting on the park regularly.
“He hits the bat hard, bowling fast, and is starting to believe that he actually belongs. That’s why I have enormous belief in the future of our bowling group.”
John will be reviewing Gloucestershire’s performances in the Royal London One-Day Cup and NatWest T20 Blast on this website soon.
