PREVIEW : Essex result key to quarter final hopes
12 August 2017
Gloucestershire go into their last home game in the South Group of the Nat West T20 Blast against Essex (Sunday, 2.30pm) knowing a win is virtually essential to keep matters in their own hands as they try to seal qualification for the knockout stages.
Tickets are available on the gate - Gloucestershire v Essex - Sunday 13 August
Only Glamorgan can match Gloucestershire's potential total of 18 points, but with both the last two games being away at Middlesex and Surrey, Sunday's match represents a chance to both realistically end Essex's hopes of further progress and keep the possibility of a top two finish in the South Group alive.
Head Coach Richard Dawson said "The weather has contributed to it being a tight group so we've known for a few games that it will be a tense finish and we've got to give everything in the three we have left."
"Essex have got some classy players and they'll be on a high because of their Championship results. They won on Friday and we know they've got options in their team so we've got to be ready to manage whatever they throw at us on Sunday."
The Eagles continue to lean heavily on the all round contribution of Ravi Bopara, while the emergence of Dan Lawrence's leg spin gives them the genuine possibility of having a third slow bowler alongside Simon Harmer and Ashar Zaidi. Their attack will be lead by the Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir.
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson has decided to again name a squad of 15 for the match, with no changes from the group that travelled to Hove on Friday.
Squad :
Klinger (c), Mustard, Cockbain, Bancroft, Roderick, Hankins, Howell, J.Taylor, Noema-Barnett, van Buuren, Smith, Payne, Liddle, M.Taylor, Miles.
Reflecting on the defeat to Sussex, Dawson said "We managed to get ourselves back into a decent position, scoring at nine an over after losing two early wickets. Cameron (Bancroft) and Phil (Mustard) were going well and the pressure is then on the opposition, which is what you want."
"The people coming in behind them have to make decisions about how to go about the rest of the innings. We kept losing wickets so in the last five overs there was no pressure on Sussex, but I'm not going to criticise them for a positive attitude. A couple of them were caught on the boundary and a foot here or there and it's a different story."
"We came out and bowled well and put the squeeze on but we were 20 runs short. Sussex outplayed us on the night and we have to take that on the chin. We look towards Sunday now, we've bounced back before and we can do it again."
Coverage :
You can follow the match via the live scorecard available on the website, or via Twitter @GlosCricket
