We Tried To Change Fixture List - Bracewell
7 December 2013
John Bracewell has revealed that Gloucestershire tried unsuccessfully to have their fixture list for 2014 changed.
When receiving a provisional draft of the fixtures, the club’s Director of Cricket was immediately concerned about a long period on the road in late May and early June, featuring LV=County Championship away games against Derbyshire and Leicestershire, plus Twenty20 visits to Kent and Sussex.
Gloucestershire play at Derby in the Championship for four days, starting on May 25, then travel to Tunbridge Wells for a T20 match on May 30.
They then move back up country to Leicester for a four-day fixture beginning on June 2 before travelling down to Hove for more T20 action on June 6.
John told this website: “There are a number of problems involved in such a run of fixtures and we did request that the fixture list be altered. You get a chance to comment after receiving the provisional list.
“Unfortunately, that fell on stony ground. The only change made to our fixtures came as a result of a request from another county.
“We have taken it on the chin, but it won’t be easy. It won’t necessarily be the same players involved in all four games and arranging the travel will be a headache.
“Our players drive themselves to games and, with a lot of youngsters in the squad, there is going to be a fatigue problem spending so much time on the road.
“It is not ideal to have groups of players in cars driving all over the place over a spell as long as 12 or 13 days.
“We have looked at the possibility of using coach travel in the past, but it has been pretty much cost prohibitive.
“But there will be times this season when we need to be back the next day after a T20 game where we will take a coach, simply because we have to travel home straight after the match.
“I don’t want our young players driving late at night with a fixture the following day.”
Gloucestershire start their Championship campaign with a game against Hampshire at Bristol, beginning on Sunday April 13, and John is pleased to have home advantage.
“It means we can prepare thoroughly for the conditions,” he said. “We have a warm-up game against Cardiff MCCU at the County Ground for three days from April 7, so we should be ready for Hamsphire.
“We have played some excellent cricket against them in recent seasons and the game offers us a great opportunity to get off to a good start.”
