Gloucestershire CCC | County Championship Match Preview | 22/08/2024

Following another captivating One Day Cup run, Leicestershire return to red-ball cricket on Thursday, beginning the first of their final five fixtures away at Gloucestershire.

The Foxes sit fourth in the table after their 123-victory over Middlesex last time out, 12 points off the second promotion spot in Division Two.

Gloucestershire are sixth in the standings, a further 12 points behind Leicestershire ahead of this week’s contest in Bristol.

Last Time We Met:

The two sides played out a high-scoring draw in the meeting earlier this season. Gloucestershire made 700 in their innings, led by hundreds from Cameron Bancroft, Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren.

Rishi Patel hit his first ton of the campaign in reply, while Scott Currie also starred with 72 after coming in as nightwatchman, as Leicestershire made 371 in their first innings. Following on, Peter Handscomb’s 81 led the side to 377/7 before the draw was confirmed.

The Foxes won their last Championship visit to Bristol, taking victory by five wickets on day four thanks to a 141-run stand between Colin Ackermann and Rehan Ahmed.

Fox to Watch:

Rishi Patel’s return to Leicestershire following his stint at The Hundred is a massive boost at the top of the order.

A player capable of seamlessly going through the gears, the opener has been a star of red-ball cricket in the past 18 months, hitting more than 1,500 runs since the start of the 2023 campaign.

Averaging 42.75 this term, and 46.37 against Gloucestershire during his career so far, he will be key to getting the side off to a perfect start again this week.

Opposition Player to Watch:

Speaking of players responsible for run-making at the top of the order, Cameron Bancroft is a man Leicestershire will need to remove early.

They witnessed firsthand how dangerous he can be during May’s meeting in the Aylestone, with the Australian tallying 160 in his sole innings.

The 31-year-old is averaging 57.30 in Division Two this season, notching 745 runs with three centuries.

Squad:

Ben Green rejoins the squad after signing on loan until the end of the season. Rehan Ahmed, Josh Hull, and Rishi Patel also return after their involvements in The Hundred.

Ajinkya Rahane is in line for his red-ball for the Cub, while Peter Handscomb is set to take the gloves this week.

Leicestershire: Ahmed, Budinger, Green, Handscomb+, Holland, Hill*, Hull, Kimber, Patel, Rahane, Scriven, Trevaskis, Walker.