Vitality Blast preview | Middlesex vs Gloucestershire
17 July 2024
Gloucestershire travel to Chelmsford to face Middlesex in the final Vitality Blast South Group match of the season on Thursday evening.
Mark Alleyne and his side will be aiming to secure a vital two points as the hunt for quarter-final qualification goes down to the wire. If Gloucestershire do secure that all-important win against Middlesex, quarter-final qualification will be confirmed if Hampshire beat Essex at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday evening.
Gloucestershire romped home to a dominant 121-run win against Glamorgan in their last T20 outing, Jack Taylor top-scoring with 80 runs off just 35 balls. That result followed two disappointing results against Hampshire and tomorrow night’s opponents Middlesex.
In that last outing against Middlesex just one week ago, the visitors ran out as winners by a 29-run margin. Gloucestershire will be desperately hoping they can avoid a repeat of that performance with a potential quarter-final place up for grabs.
TEAM NEWS
Ed Middleton, Dom Goodman and Marchant de Lange drop out of the matchday squad for the match against Middlesex with all three rested for this trip.
Tom Price and Zafar Gohar remain sidelined and are continuing with rehabilitation from long-term setbacks.
Your 13-man squad to face Middlesex:
J Taylor (C), Bancroft, Bracey, B Charlesworth, Hammond, Payne, O Price, Shaw, Singh-Dale, Smith, M Taylor, van Buuren, Webster.
OUR OPPONENTS
Middlesex have experienced somewhat of a resurgence in form having had a slow start to the Vitality Blast in 2024. Consecutive wins against Gloucestershire and Glamorgan have lifted Middlesex off the foot of the South Group table and onto nine points.
In their last win against Glamorgan, Middlesex raced through the Glamorgan batting order to reduce the hosts to 88/9. Having been set 89 to win, Middlesex reached their target with three balls remaining.
HOW TO WATCH
Gloucestershire take on Middlesex in the Vitality Blast at the Essex County Ground, Chelmsford, from 6:15pm tomorrow, Thursday 18th July. Watch every ball via the Glos Cricket match centre, here
