Gloucestershire v Kent Spitfires (Thu, 2.30pm)
Wednesday 12th July 2017
Kent Spitfires make an enforced change to their T20 squad for the trip to The College Ground in Cheltenham on Thursday (2.30pm start).
Mitch Claydon rests a sore side so Calum Haggett returns to the squad after two four-wicket T20 hauls for the second XI last week.
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Head coach Matt Walker believes the shorter format could suit the Spitfires if they can continue the early momentum gained from Sunday’s win against Essex at The County Ground, Beckenham.
The former Kent batsman said: “T20 is a format that suits us if we gel. The return of Sam Billings is like a new signing and he’s hungry and ready to go.
“The side on paper is very exciting but there’s a lot of strong teams in the South Group. What you do when you cross the white line is what counts.”
Opener Daniel Bell-Drummond, who recently extended his Kent contract, said: “Gloucestershire are a canny white-ball side. They may not have the big names of other sides in the group but they have some clever cricketers and punch above their weight.
“We played a Championship match at Cheltenham a few years ago and chased 400 in the final innings so who knows what to expect?
“We will assess the conditions and plan. We need to be on it from ball one.”
Gloucestershire’s opening NatWest Blast South Group game ended in a thrilling tie against Middlesex at the College Ground last week.
Their overseas signing, Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera, is yet to arrive in the UK and skipper Michael Klinger is set to play with a protective ankle strapping.
Kent Spitfires squad: 17 Sam Northeast (c), 23 Daniel Bell-Drummond, 6 Joe Denly, 7 Sam Billings (wk), 10 Alex Blake, 83 Jimmy Neesham, 3 Darren Stevens, 24 Adam Ball, 25 Calum Haggett, 26 Matt Coles, 20 Adam Milne, 15 James Tredwell, 11 Imran Qayyum.
Gloucstershire squad: Klinger (c), Mustard, Cockbain, Bancroft, Hankins, J.Taylor, Howell, Roderick, Smith, Noema-Barnett, Payne, M.Taylor, Liddle.
Gloucestershire v Kent Spitfires stats
- Four of the last five meetings between these sides have been won by the chasing side.
- Gloucestershire have only lost two of their last 11 matches (W8 T1); one of those two defeats came against the Spitfires however.
- Kent Spitfires have won two of their last three matches on the road.
- Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent Spitfires) comes into this game on the back of his 90* against Essex Eagles; he’s averaged 67 across his 10 innings since the start of last season, doing so with a strike-rate of 150.8