Match Preview: Middlesex v Gloucestershire
5 May 2021
Group Two leaders Gloucestershire head to Lord’s for the fifth round of fixtures to take on Middlesex in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
High-flying Gloucestershire come into the game having pulled off an unlikely victory at home to Leicestershire thanks to final day partnership of 224 from Ian Cockbain & Tom Lace. The win, a third of the season, places them 14 points above Somerset atop Group Two of the County Championship.
Opponents Middlesex have experienced success in spurts in the early part of the season, particularly when bowling, but have fallen victim to batting collapses that have seen them fall short on three occasions already.
All four days of Middlesex v Gloucestershire will be broadcast live on the Gloscricket Match Centre here
The coaching duo of Ian Harvey and Mark Alleyne appear to have instilled the same ‘any one on any day’ attitude that brought so much success to Gloucestershire in the One-Day Kings era of the late 90s/early 00s. Each match to date has seen a different player(s) step up to either put Gloucestershire over the line or keep them in the game.
11 Gloucestershire players are averaging over 25 runs through the first four matches, seven of those are averaging more than 35. This is a stark contrast to Middlesex who have only four players averaging more than 25 with the bat.
With the ball in hand, the Seaxes have a familiar yet fruitful bowling attack consisting of Tim Murtagh, Toby Roland-Jones and Steven Finn, who have taken 43 wickets between them. Add to that, former Gloucestershire loanee Ethan Bamber who has taken 13 wickets at an average of just over 24.
For Gloucestershire, David Payne is once again available after the birth of his firstborn. Should he play, it will be the first match in which Higgins, Worrall and Payne have all played. Matt Taylor also returns to the squad having been rested for the Leicestershire game.
Ian Harvey has named a 14-man squad for the trip to Lord's:
Middlesex have named a 15-man squad for tomorrow's match:
Peter Handscomb (c), Martin Andersson, Ethan Bamber, Steven Finn, Nick Gubbins, James Harris, Tom Helm, Max Holden, Luke Hollman, Tim Murtagh, Sam Robson, Toby Roland-Jones, John Simpson (wk), Thilan Wallalawita & Robbie White.
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