Gloucestershire CCC | One Day Cup Match Preview - 29/08/2023
Mon 28 Aug 2023
It’s semi-final time. After 22 years without involvement in the last four of a List A competition, Leicestershire make a triumphant return, hosting Gloucestershire at Uptonsteel County Ground on Tuesday afternoon.
The Foxes finished top of Group A, winning seven of their eight matches, and will hoping to resume where they left off. The side will be buoyed by the return of in-form batter Colin Ackermann, as well as bowling duo Josh Hull and Tom Scriven “ who both missed the Yorkshire win last time out due to illness.
Gloucestershire arrive in the East Midlands after comprehensively defeating Lancashire on Friday. Miles Hammond hit an unbroken ton on his return to the side to guide Glos to a five-wicket in Bristol, their fifth straight victory.
Last Time We Met:
The previous meeting between the two sides last August saw Leicestershire emerge victorious by four wickets in the south-west.
Louis Kimber starred with both bat and ball, taking four wickets in the Gloucestershire innings before hitting 68 (70b) batting at three.
Lewis Hill (82) added 90 with Wiaan Mulder (52*) for the fourth wicket, before the South African all-rounder and Ed Barnes (5*) saw the Foxes home.
In Focus:
He’s had to bide his time to break into Leicestershire’s 50-over side, but boy has Matt Salisbury taken his chance.
In his two matches so far, the former Durham bowler has taken six wickets at a miserly average of 11.5, striking every 19 deliveries and costing just 3.63 runs per over in that time.
Such a control and potency has seen him stake his claim for a semi-final spot, even with two in-form bowlers returning around him.
Opposition Player to Watch:
It’ll come as little surprise that Ollie Price is the Gloucestershire player we’re highlighting. As the third highest run-getter in the competition, it’s been a memorable month for the 22-year-old.
Price has 553 runs to his name at an average of 92.17, posting two centuries and three half-centuries to fire his team to the semi-final stages.
A handy off-spin option too, Price has three wickets at 47.33 so far this campaign.
Squad:
Colin Ackermann returns to the fold after missing the final two group stage fixtures due to a Hundred call-up, while Josh Hull and Tom Scriven have both shaken the sickness bug that ruled them out of the win over Yorkshire last time out.
Peter Handscomb is set to make his final Foxes appearance of the summer before jetting home to Australia. Rehan Ahmed isn’t available for selection after linking up with England ahead of their IT20 series opener with New Zealand on Wednesday.
Leicestershire Foxes: Ackermann, Budinger, Davis, Evans, Handscomb+, Hill*, Hull, Kimber, Mulder, Patel, Ramji, Salisbury, Scriven, Wright.
