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Match Preview: Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire

6 April 2022

The dawn of a new season is upon us and excitement levels couldn’t be higher with the long-awaited return to Division One cricket less than 24 hours away.

Fittingly, Gloucestershire’s first match in the premier division of English cricket will come against Northamptonshire, the team who shared a moment of jubilation in the home dressing room at Seat Unique Stadium three summers ago as both teams gained promotion on the last day of the season.

Both counties have yet to taste the fruits of their labour but Gloucestershire have shown more promise in the interim with more County Championship wins than any other team in 2021.

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

Despite what may have been a frustration for many, the extended time between The Shire’s last match in Division Two and first match in Division One has in some ways allowed the Club to prepare itself for the return to the top tier.

A confidence-boosting victory against Warwickshire in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy was followed by a severe reality check, courtesy of local rivals Somerset. What followed last summer was a notice to the 17 other counties that Gloucestershire are capable of mixing it with the best teams; winning four of the opening five matches, including successive victories over Surrey and Somerset, and finishing the season with three wins from four.

Momentum has been maintained in Bristol with the appointment of the decorated Dale Benkenstein as Head Coach for the next three seasons and former Glos cricketer, Steve Snell, as the Club’s first Performance Director.

Graeme van Buuren will lead the side as captain for the first time in his career. The 31-year-old taking the reins from opening batter Chris Dent who hopes to now focus more on his batting output.

The Glos team should have no shortage of batting options with left-handers Chris Dent, Ben Charlesworth, James Bracey and Miles Hammond all vying for position at the top of the order. Add in Graeme van Buuren, Tom Lace, Ryan Higgins and Matt Taylor and you have quite a deep batting line-up.

Strength in depth is the name of the game for Gloucestershire who have a plethora of seam bowling option in Josh Shaw, Ajeet Singh Dale, Matt Taylor, Ryan Higgins, George Scott and the enigmatic Pakistani sensation Naseem Shah. His fellow countryman Zafar Gohar returned to the Club’s ranks this week and travels with the side to offer Benkenstein the threat of spin.

David Payne will miss the opening match of the season after a bout of Covid-19 hampered his pre-season preperations resulting in a lack of match fitness. Paul van Meekeren will also miss out due to a lower back injury.

Dale Benkenstein has named a 13-man squad to travel to Wantage Road:

South Africa-born Ricardo Vasconcelos will captain Northants against Gloucestershire after Adam Rossington stepped down and made his way south to Essex on a season-long loan. The 24-year-old opener will need to continue to pile on runs for the midlands outfit to give them the best chance of avoiding relegation.

He will be helped by the addition of New Zealander Will young who made two centuries for Durham in last season’s County Championship. Young averaged just shy of 40 for his previous employees and will provide some welcome coverage for the absent Rossington.

On the bowling side of things, Ben Sanderson will be who new head Coach John Sadler will be looking to take the bulk of wickets throughout the season as he has done on such a consistent basis throughout his career. Australian Matt Kelly will hope to be available but the opening County Championship match of the season may come too soon for the bowler who just competed in the Sheffield Shield final for Victoria.

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

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