Gloucestershire v Exeter University … and a Star Signing - 20210402

 

Gloucestershire v Exeter University

… and a Star Signing

April 2^nd 2021

 

When you wake up to the news on April 1^st that the Shire have signed a current Test captain and opening bat, addressing the issue of providing Chris Dent with the class support at the top of the order, one’s first reaction is to look at the date… and smile knowingly. When this news follows a second innings collapse to 34-3 against a modest university side, you say “if only…”

Actually, it is true and, as fans who were following the game pointed out, the collapse was not what it seemed to be.

Gloucestershire completed a huge win – 382 runs is a big margin in anyone’s book – declined to enforce the follow-on and re-shuffled the batting order to give extra batsmen practice. Chris Dent opened with a happily fit-again Benny Howell in the first innings and retired just short of a rapid century (82, with 13x4, in 91 balls), while James Bracey came into the side and opened with Benny Howell in the second. Although the opposition was not quite as strong as Surrey or Somerset, there were 50s for Howell, Dent and Ryan Higgins in the first innings and for van Buuren and Cockbain in the second, with plenty of batsmen getting some useful middle time. All six bowlers took at least one wicket, with the match figures 7-45 of Matt Taylor the star turn, supported by 5-38 for David Payne and 3-34 for Josh Shaw.

While Benny Howell was able to join the T20 campaign at the end of the season, he was clearly feeling his way back to fitness in the early games. Not called on to bowl in this match, his calm presence in the middle order and accurate medium pace were sorely missed in the Bob Willis Trophy campaign. Having Benny Howell available for red-ball cricket increases both the batting options and gives the captain someone to turn to as a partnership breaker, even if he is unlikely to bowl a lot of overs with the red ball.

So, pre-season has ended with a much more positive balance than in 2020. Four matches, three wins and a draw (although, you could argue that the 2-day game was a win, given that it was always going to be one day batting for each side and the Shire did obtain a massive advantage). In three red-ball innings, 400 has been reached twice and would surely have been reached a third time had Gloucestershire not declared after just 44 overs in their second innings against Exeter Uni. There will be harder tests to come: Somerset may not be quite as friendly at Taunton on April 15^th as they were on March 23^rd and opening Championship fixtures do not come tougher than Surrey, but the side should start with more confidence this season than they did the last.

However, even if Dan Worrall’s availability looks like being rather more reduced than initially looked possible, another item on the Gloucestershire bucket list for the season has been ticked off. If you have been following West Indian cricket recently, you will not have failed to notice that Kraigg Brathwaite averages over 40 in his last ten Tests and has just scored 126 and 85 against Sri Lanka as he tries to flog a result and a series win out of a dead North Sound pitch. Brathwaite is an old-style opener, who has accumulated as he has watched wickets falling at the other end, building an innings and narrowly failing to carry his bat in the first innings. You could not fail to be impressed by his approach, which included finishing the first day on 99*: a positively Boycottian example of self-denial.

Now, fans will have the prospect of watching Chris Dent walk out with the currently West Indies captain, who is in a bit of form and setting a solid base to the Gloucestershire innings. Available for most of the campaign bar the last two matches at Cheltenham, he will probably miss the season opener against Surrey at Bristol due to COVID-19 quarantine, but will still play seven Championship matches, which is unusual for such a high profile overseas player. It is a pretty good signing.

It is also a good signing on other levels. First, as a current Test captain, he will be able to help Chris Dent in the field. His vast experience – 68 Tests since 2011 – will be available to the young players in the squad. And, he is also a useful off-spinner (rather more than an occasional bowler, although by no means a front-line spinner), with a Test 6-for and took 3-25 against Bangladesh in Dhaka a few weeks ago: he will not bowl out a side on a greentop at Lord’s, but he will offer an additional option should the Shire come up with a pitch that offers something the spinners, which will undoubtedly give Tom Smith the support and encouragement that he needs to develop further.

For now, Gloucestershire can approach that opening match at Bristol on April 8^th with more confidence, even if neither of their overseas stars will be available. If the Bristol pitch lives up to its fame for lifelessness and we can come out of the game with a share of the points and an honourable draw, that would be a decent start.