Payne looks forward to Pietersen challenge ahead of Cheltenham T20s
16 July 2014
Gloucestershire paceman David Payne says his teammates will have no fear if England’s record run-scorer Kevin Pietersen is in the Surrey side to face them in the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday (18 July).
The match is the first of two T20 games at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Festival, ahead of the match against Essex on Sunday 20 July.
Tickets are still available for both matches. To get yours click here.
Payne – who has featured in the club’s last six T20 games since returning from injury – said the bowling unit would look forward to the prospect of taking on the controversial batsman.
He said: “There are a few rumours that Kevin Pietersen could be in the Surrey side and it would be great for the crowd to see him at Cheltenham.
“I played against him in a T20 a few years back and we won the game so if he does play it won’t be a challenge any of us would be shying away from.”
Gloucestershire had been in fine form in the shortest form of the game, beating Kent and Sussex before losing to local rivals Somerset in a nail-biting finale at Taunton last time out.
And although Payne admits the latest result has severely damaged the team’s hopes of making the quarter finals, he is predicting an exciting double header this weekend.
League leaders Essex boast a whole host of top stars including England’s Ravi Bopara and New Zealand international Jesse Ryder. As well as KP, Surrey’s side could contain Sri Lanka batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan and the competition’s top run scorer Jason Roy.
Payne said: “The result at Somerset has dented our hopes of making the top four but we will give it our all until the end of the campaign. We have two big games coming up this week, Surrey with their all-star batting line-up on Friday (18 July) and Essex - who are top of the table - on Sunday (20 July).
“The fact that they are both at Cheltenham will add to the spectacle. The guys all love playing there and the atmosphere is always fantastic.”
Another player looking forward to the prospect of T20 at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Cricket Festival is in-form allrounder Will Gidman.
He said: “I have really enjoyed being back playing T20 over the last few weeks - I didn’t realise how much I ‘d missed it.
“I also love the intensity of it – the pressure on every ball.
“It is always a slightly different challenge playing at Cheltenham as the outfield is a bit quicker and the boundaries are smaller. But we have played a couple of games on TV recently where they bring the boundaries in so they are challenges we are used to.
“The atmosphere is special at Cheltenham and the crowds always get really into it. It will be great fun to be part of.”
To watch a video interview on the upcoming T20 matches with Gareth Roderick and James Fuller click below.
