Match Preview: Gloucestershire v Northants
29 August 2021
Gloucestershire return to County Championship action as Northamptonshire make the trip to Bristol for the first match of the Division Stage.
Almost seven weeks on from the heartbreaking loss to Hampshire at Cheltenham College, Ian Harvey’s side must now dust themselves off and look to build on what has already been a successful season in some regards.
No county won more games than The Shire in the opening part of the competition with only Yorkshire matching their five victories. However, a lack of batting and bowling bonus points was the thorn in the Club’s side and what ultimately decided their Division Two fate.
Gloucestershire v Northants | All four days live on the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE | 11:00am Start Time
Overseas signing Zafar Gohar has been added to the squad having signed for Gloucestershire for the remainder of the red-ball season. The left-arm spinner made his Test debut for Pakistan against New Zealand earlier this year, adding international pedigree to the team. He took 3/43 for the Second XI last week against Glamorgan.
Ian Cockbain and Ryan Higgins returned from The Hundred duty and played their part in Gloucestershire’s win over the Glamorgan Second XI. Higgins was the standout batter in the match, making 158 off 187 in the second innings.
Ben Charlesworth will be hoping to make his first County Championship appearance of the summer having missed the entire first stage due to a dislocated shoulder suffered in preseason. He lead The Shire in scoring in the Royal London Cup, averaging 52 over his six appearances.
Jared Warner could make his first-class debut for the Club following an impressive one-day campaign that saw him open the bowling alongside Matt Taylor in the quarter-final of the Royal London Cup.
David Payne and Josh Shaw both miss out due to injury while fellow seamer Dom Goodman is unable to play due to illness.
Gloucestershire’s 14-man squad for tomorrow’s match:
Northants will begin the latter stage of the County Championship in second place of Division Two despite finishing fourth in Group Three. A seven wicket victory and a draw against third-placed Glamorgan sees them carry 16 points through, four more than Gloucestershire.
23-year-old Ricardo Vasconcelos lead tomorrow’s visitors in runs through the first ten matches of the campaign with 716 at an average of 47.73. He continued his good form with two half-centuries in the Royal London Cup.
Veterans Adam Rossington and Rob Keogh have both made telling contributions throughout the summer, averaging 49.42 and 43.35 respectively in the opening part of the competition.
Ben Sanderson has unsurprisingly been the county’s leading wicket-taker with 31 so far this year. Berg, Kerrigan and Taylor have all chipped in with wickets but they will be without Wayne Parnell who has made his way back to his home in South Africa after the birth of his daughter.
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