We're A Stronger T20 Team Now - Bracewell
28 June 2013
Gloucestershire begin their Friends Life t20 campaign at Northampton this evening, with Director of Cricket John Bracewell insisting they have a “fighting chance” of winning the competition.
The floodlit clash with Northants kicks-off the club’s programme of 20-over fixtures, with the first home match taking place on Sunday afternoon when Worcestershire visit the County Ground.
Gloucestershire were surprise quarter-finalists last year and Bracewell believes they are better equipped to succeed this time around.
He told this website: “We are a more confident side going into the competition than we were last season and a wiser side.
“We will be adopting a slightly different strategy this year, which is good because it means opponents won’t be able to judge us on how we played last summer.
“Our fielding skills have got a lot better and we have spent a lot of time on improving our striking of the ball to up our boundary rates.
“These things have shown up in our YB40 performances and our death bowling has also been good in that competition.
“There are a lot of teams in with a fighting chance of winning the T20 and we are one of them. Our division is very strong, but we will be competitive.”
John is particularly looking forward to seeing new overseas signing Dan Christian in action with both bat and ball.
He said: “Dan is a genuine all-rounder, who has been a T20 specialist for some time now. He has experience of playing in the Indian Premier League and was a member of the successful Brisbane Heat team in the Big Bash tournament in Australia last winter.
“That makes him a proven winner and he plays with the intensity you expect of all Australians, which will be valuable to us and offer something our young players can learn from.
“Dan is a well-known ally of Michael Klinger from their time together at South Australia and was signed partly on Michael’s recommendation.
“Competing for all 120 balls in an innings wins T20 games and that is what Dan will do. To bring that to a young side is very exciting.”
A squad of 13 has been named for the Northants game.
Gloucestershire (from) M.Klinger (capt), H,Marshall, C.Dent, D.Christian, A.Gidman, I.Cockbain, B.Howell, G.Roderick (wkt), J.Fuller, T.Smith, D.Payne, M.Taylor, D.Housego.
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