Will Can Be Key To 50-Over Campaign - Bracewell
23 October 2013
John Bracewell expects Will Gidman to be a major force in the new 50-over one-day domestic competition to be played next season.
While Will had another prolific LV=County Championship campaign with the ball this summer, he barely featured in limited overs games, partly because of a persistent ankle problem.
But surgery to remove a bone spur should provide a cure and John believes the use of two new balls, one from each end, in the 50-over format, will make the all-rounder a major player.
The club’s Director of Cricket told this website: “Will is a seam bowler and the white ball has not tended to seam around in one-day cricket as much as the red one does in the Championship.
“I predict that will change next season with two white balls being used in the 50-over format. Players of Will’s ilk and skill sets will be more than handy and different tactics will be required.”
Will himself agrees that the use of two new balls should suit him and is looking forward to pushing for a place in all forms of cricket in 2014.
He said: “Obviously the balls will remain new for longer and that means the seam will stay more prominent, which should suit bowlers like myself.
“Each ball is only going to be 25 overs old by the end of the innings, which hopefully will help us make life more difficult for the batsmen.
“We will have to get used to throwing a ball back to the umpire at the end of each over, but that will become a habit as games go by.
“We had a taste of it last year when the South Africans toured and played us. It did seem quite weird at the time.”
Gloucestershire have been drawn in Group A of the 50-over competition, while arch-rivals Somerset will be in Group B. The top four from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.
Group A Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Derbyshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Hampshire
Group B Surrey, Somerset, Kent, Sussex, Glamorgan, Durham, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire.
