Preview: Perfect storm needed for T20 quarter final spot
16 August 2017
Gloucestershire head to the Kia Oval to face Surrey (Thursday, 6.30pm) in their final South Group match needing a win and FIVE other results to go their way before the weekend in order to secure a place in next week's Nat West T20 Blast quarter finals.
On form, it looks a long shot but despite losing heavily to Middlesex at Uxbridge there is still a way that Gloucestershire can qualify, even though it would mean doing so by winning only five matches in the pool stages - half the number they won to top the South Group last year.
Apart from beating Surrey, Gloucestershire need Essex to beat Kent in their Thursday fixture. Wins for Hampshire, Glamorgan, Essex and Kent on Friday - assuming all the games are close with minimal impact on run rate - would leave the table looking like this :
- Glamorgan 18 points
- Hampshire 17 points
- Essex 16 points
- GLOUCESTERSHIRE 14 points
- Kent 13 points
- Middlesex 12 points
- Sussex 12 points
- Somerset 12 points
- Surrey 12 points
With a big crowd expected at the Kia Oval head coach Richard Dawson has resisted the temptation to give one or two younger players a game and has retained the squad of 14 that went to Uxbridge on Tuesday.
Squad :
Klinger (c), Mustard, Cockbain, Bancroft, Hankins, Howell, J.Taylor, Noema-Barnett, van Buuren, Smith, Miles, Payne, Liddle, M.Taylor
Dawson said: "We've not been as good as we were last year and that is why we are where we are in the table (currently eighth). The bottom line has been we've not had the skill levels, and there is no hiding behind the fact we've not had people making runs. Scores don't lie and in the last three games we've been nowhere with the bat."
His honesty is backed up by Gloucestershire's meagre tally of just three half centuries in the competition, the lowest tally of any team. Even Michael Klinger's century against Hampshire came in one of three defeats in four games at the Brightside Ground.
Tuesday's game at Uxbridge, where Gloucestershire lost their first five wickets for only 25 runs, highlighted Dawson's frustration.
"The game was taken away from us after we scrapped well in the field" he said. "To keep Middlesex to 161 was a great effort. The players are trying. We were in a good position coming into these last four games and we haven't taken advantage of it. The Surrey match is an opportunity. We'll turn up, do our best and try and take something out of it."
Coverage :
You can follow the match via the live scorecard available on the website, or via Twitter @GlosCricket
Tickets to watch England v West Indies at The Brightside Ground, Bristol, on Sunday 24 September are now on sale. Click here to book
