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Match Preview: Gloucestershire v Yorkshire

13 April 2022

Gloucestershire welcome Yorkshire to Seat Unique Stadium for the first time in a decade as both sides look to secure their first wins of the season.

The Shire come into the match off the back of a gruelling encounter at Northampton that came down to the final over but ultimately ended with the players on both sides shaking hands.

Yorkshire are yet to get their 2022 campaign underway but will be hoping to take advantage of the extra week’s preparation.

Gloucestershire v Yorkshire | All four days live on the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE | 11:00am Start Time

The Gloucestershire side of the season just gone was known for putting themselves in a position to win the game on day four, however the previous three days had unfolded.

The same could be said after the first match of this season against Northants where Ryan Higgins was searching for two final wickets in the last over the game to take the main share of points. Unfortunately a missed chance meant the match ended in a draw but both sides deserved the reward for their efforts.

Higgins showed why he is one of the best all-rounders in the county game with a 139-run century alongside his seven wickets. James Bracey also contributed a gutsy century in the first innings to keep Gloucestershire from posting a sub-200 score.

Chris Dent will not be available this weekend having tested positive for Covid-19. However, Australian Test opener Marcus Harris has landed in Bristol and will be available for selection for this week. His scoring at international level and in the 2021 County Championship will give Head Coach Dale Benkenstein confidence that he can fill the gap Dent leaves before the two can play together.

Unfortunately, bowler David Payne has not yet been deemed match fit by the medical staff and will miss a second consecutive match. His absence will be felt even more with Pakistan international Naseem Shah also ruled out of the Yorkshire match with a shoulder injury sustained in the Northampton game.

Zafar Gohar will likely join Harris this week in the line-up with Shah out, but this four wickets and half-century in the opening match would have put forward a good case for selection even with all three overseas available.

Dale Benkenstein has named a 13-man squad to face Yorkshire:

Ottis Gibson will be at Yorkshire’s helm for the first time this Thursday as he takes charge of his first competitive match as Head Coach. Gibson was a teammate of Benkenstein’s in Durham’s successful trophy winning years.

He brings with him a strong 13-man squad with a mixture of youth, experience and international prowess.

Dawid Malan, the ICC’s 4th ranked batter, headlines a star-studded lineup with fellow internationals Dom Bess, Harry Brook, Matthew Fisher, Adam Lyth and Haris Rauf.

Harry Brook will be feeling confident heading into the game having scored a century against Gloucestershire in Dubai this pre-season. Early wickets will be crucial for Gloucestershire with Malan and Lyth, experienced top order batters, alongside Brook who can score big when they get their eye in.

38-year-old Steven Patterson captains the side and will have Bess, Fisher and Coad likely joining him in the bowling unit assuming Ben Coad has recovered fully from a groin injury sustained in pre-season. Pakistan international Haris Rauf is available for selection but has only ever played in four first-class matches.

Yorkshire’s squad in Bristol:

Dom Bess, Harry Brook, Ben Coad, Harry Duke (WK), Matthew Fisher, Will Fraine, George Hill, Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan, Steven Patterson (c), Haris Rauf, Jordan Thompson, James Wharton.

The match will be live streamed via the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE

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