Gloucestershire entertain Hampshire in a day-night match in the South Group of the Royal London One-Day Cup at the Brightside Ground Bristol, in front of the Sky cameras.
Gloucestershire, the 2015 competition winners, face their fourth game in the Royal London One-Day Cup with little confidence having lost their first three games. It has been the worst possible start to the competition for a side that, prior to their first 50 over game against Somerset, at Taunton had won three games in a week: a Championship game at Worcester and two away games in the T20 Blast.
Hampshire have only played two games in the 50 over competition. In their first game they lost to Essex by three wickets at Southampton. Hampshire posted 310/4 with Adam Wheater (90) and Liam Dawson (70 not out) top scoring. Essex reached the Hampshire total with three balls to spare.
In their second game Hampshire beat Middlesex by five wickets on the D/L method at Radlett. Middlesex scored 295/8, young Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane taking 4/80. Hampshire reached the rain-adjusted winning target of 204 for the loss of five wickets, Dawson again starring with the bat to hit 68 not out.
Key men
Star performers have been a little thin on the ground for Gloucestershire in the 50 over format this so far but Hamish Marshall, who scored a scored 74 against Middlesex in the county’s most recent 50 over game, is batting as well as ever this season.
It is hard to believe that the 37 year-old Kiwi has been at Nevil Road for 11 seasons given his boyish appearance, epitomised by the trademark mop of curls emerging from his county cap. His top- scoring innings in the Middlesex match was on the day when his decision to leave Gloucestershire at the end of this season was announced. No more popular player has played for Gloucestershire. He will be missed.
Marshall’s popular appeal may be geographically rather limited but that is not something that can be said of Pakistan superstar Shahid Afridi, veteran of 398 ODIs. The days when 36 year- old Boom Boom’s appearance at the crease caused ripples of excitement at cricket grounds, and with global television audiences, all over the world may be gone but the all- rounder is still worth watching, particularly these days as a high class leg-spinner.
Hampshire’s overseas star had originally only been signed on for the NatWest T20 Blast campaign, but he will now feature in all white ball cricket.
Team news
Gloucestershire have not named their squad at the time of writing. They are likely to choose from:
Michael Klinger (c), Chris Dent, Gareth Roderick (wk), Hamish Marshall, Ian Cockbain, Benny Howell, Jack Taylor, Tom Smith, Craig Miles, Liam Norwell, David Payne, Matt Taylor, Kieran Noema-Barnett.
Hampshire opener Tom Alsop returns to the 50-over squad after missing the victory against Middlesex through illness. However, fellow opener Michael Carberry is still not available through injury. As well as Afridi, Tino Best and James Tomlinson are named in the squad and could make their first Royal London One-Day Cup appearance of the season.
Hampshire are likely to choose from:
Tom Alsop, Jimmy Adams, Joe Weatherley, Adam Wheater, Sean Ervine(c),Liam Dawson, Will Smith, Gareth Berg, Lewis McManus(wicketkeeper), Gareth Andrew, Ryan Stevenson, Mason Crane, Shahid Afridi, Tino Best, James Tomlinson.
Weather and conditions
The weather forecast for the match is showery. Bristol pitches this season have favoured batting albeit they have been slow.
Date: June 14th, 2016.
Time: 2pm start.
Ground: Brightside Ground, Bristol.
Umpires: Rob Bailey and Tim Robinson. (Neil Mallender is third umpire for this televised match.)
Odds: Gloucestershire 10/11.Hampshire 10/11. (SkyBet)
