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Match Preview | Worcestershire v Gloucestershire | LV= County Championship

19 April 2023

Gloucestershire travel to Worcestershire for the third match of the LV= Insurance County Championship season hoping to put two rain-affected results behind them.

An impressive fightback against Glamorgan to earn a draw was followed by an abandonment against Yorkshire as the weather severely impacted any chance of play in Bristol last week.

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Dale Benkenstein returns to the UK and takes a thirteen-strong squad to New Road as Glos search for a first win of the season.

The last time the two sides met in four-day competition Worcestershire ran out as victors by an eight-wicket winning margin. First innings fifties from Chris Dent and Graeme van Buuren were not enough to save Shire from defeat in the 2020 edition of the Bob Willis Trophy.

Skipper in that game, Dent, and skipper in this, van Buuren, join Miles Hammond, Tom Price, Josh Shaw and Jack Taylor as the six to survive in the Gloucestershire squad from the starting eleven three years ago.

Dent will likely open with Marcus Harris. The Australian international was announced as one of a 17-man World Test Championship and Ashes squad, a tour beginning after Shire’s first block of six Championship matches.

Fellow top-order batters Ben Charlesworth and James Bracey keep their places, the latter hoping to build on a start to the season that included a harsh second innings dismissal against Glamorgan.

Ollie Price could keep his number six slot in the batting order and will be buoyed by a maiden first-class wicket with his off-spin against the Welsh County.

Bowlers Marchant de Lange, Tom Price and Ajeet Singh Dale remain in the squad for Benkenstein’s return and Glos fans will hope Zafar Gohar can add to the two wickets and 55 runs he managed against Glamorgan.

Worcestershire v Gloucestershire | LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two | Watch every ball on the Glos Cricket Match Centre HERE | 11:00am start time

Hosts Worcestershire have had a mixed start to the campaign beating Derbyshire by eight wickets during the opening week of the season before falling to a 121-run defeat against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside.

A brave declaration by Pears captain Brett D’Oliveira on day three against Durham proved to be the wrong decision as a remarkable bowling performance from Matthew Kuhnemann changed the tide in favour of the hosts. The skilful left-arm spinner ran through the Worcestershire batting order to claim five wickets in a match-winning final-day performance.

Worcestershire return home to New Road for the first time this season, as Glos take the M5 just past Cheltenham for the second away trip of the campaign.

Your Gloucestershire squad to face Worcestershire:

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