Gloucestershire v. Derbyshire preview

Mickey Arthur has named a 13-man squad for Derbyshire's game Bristol tomorrow, against Gloucestershire.

The two teams currently sit second and third bottom, so a win for both sides would be of massive importance. No side wants to be at the bottom of the table, and the loser of this game looks likely to be so, notwithstanding Yorkshire's 48 point penalty.

Luis Reece is fit again and Pat Brown has come in on loan from Worcestershire for the remainder of the season, ahead of his permanent three-year move that starts from April of 2024. I expect him to be a good asset in all forms of the game and certainly to be a part of the side that takes the field tomorrow.

It looks to me as if the final choice is between the two spinners again and logically Brown coming in for the departing George Scrimshaw. If the Bristol wicket looks likely to take spin, one of the seamers may be rested, with Dal and Reece available for seam options.

So my likely side is:

Came, Reece, Guest, Madsen, du Plooy, Lamb, Dal, Thomson, Chappell, Brown, Conners (Watt and Scrimshaw also in squad)

Mitch Wagstaff, after a good performance at Scarborough, will play in the second team fixture that starts on Monday.

Tom Price, Paul van Meekeren and Zaman Akhter are all missing from the home squad. Dale Benkenstein has named the following thirteen:

Van Buuren, Bracey, Charlesworth, Charlesworth, Dent, Gohar, Goodman, Hammond, Middleton, Phillips, Price, Shaw, Taylor

Given four good days I might fancy Derbyshire to get their first four-day win of the summer, but tomorrow looks like being rain-affected, while the forecast for Tuesday suggests a fair amount of rain in the Bristol area.

That being the case I will go for a draw here. I was asked on North Derbyshire Radio last night if I expected Derbyshire to break their four day duck before the end of the summer and my answer was no, if not in this game.

I would love them to prove me wrong, but I don't expect it to happen. Given its importance, I would be surprised if either side risked defeat were a contrived finish to become an option.

You can hear my interview with Matt Rhodes last night here at eighteen minutes onwards.

I will report tomorrow on the first day's play, but thereafter will put up a daily post on which you can comment. My wife and I are away to Berwick upon Tweed with our dogs on Monday and are looking forward to some sea air and plenty of walking!