Match Preview: Gloucestershire v Somerset
19 May 2021
Following a week without a match, Gloucestershire are set to return to action at the Bristol County Ground in front of fans for the first time since September 2019.
602 days will have passed since umpires David Millns and Mike Burns called a close to Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire, promoting both clubs to Division One of the County Championship.
While The Shire have yet to have their day in the sun in the premiere division, this year’s conference style rendition of the Championship has seen Gloucestershire’s best start to a season since 1877.
All four days of Gloucestershire v Somerset will be broadcast live on the Gloscricket Match Centre here
West Country rivals Somerset, who currently sit four points behind Gloucestershire in Group Two, will fittingly be the first county to visit the Bristol County Ground with spectators in the stands.
Last month, Gloucestershire defeated Thursday’s opponents in the County Championship at Taunton for the first time in 28 years. For Somerset, it was a first defeat in red-ball cricket at their home ground since 2017.
James Bracey was the player of the match on that occasion making a sixth first-class century of 118 in the first innings and following that up with an unbeaten 84 to carry his side to victory. His efforts this season have been rewarded with a first call up to the England Test squad for their series against New Zealand next month. However, he will be available for the Somerset match.
Miles Hammond has been selected in place of George Hankins in an otherwise unchanged squad from the one that travelled to Lord’s two weeks ago.
Ian Harvey’s 14-man squad for tomorrow’s match:
Somerset’s 13-man squad for tomorrow’s match:
Tom Abell(c), George Bartlett, Eddie Byrom, Josh Davey, Steve Davies (wk), Marchant de Lange, Lewis Goldsworthy, Lewis Gregory, James Hildreth, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leach, Craig Overton and Roelof van der Merwe.
Due to heavy rain throughout last weekend, Somerset could only get 68 overs of play against Surrey at Taunton. That meant they could only take 8 points from the draw along with one bowling point.
On the road, Somerset have fared better than any other county winning all three away fixtures at Lord’s, Leicester and Southampton. The last time tomorrow’s visitors played a County Championship match at Bristol was in 2007 when former England bowler Andy Caddick took 12/71 as Somerset won by an innings and 119 runs.
Heading into this week’s matchup, wicketkeeper Steve Davies will be back in contention to play this week having missed last week’s match against Surrey due to a minor surgery. Craig Overton and Jack Leach will also be available to Jason Kerr after being rested last week.
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