Gloucestershire Preview: Top two go toe to toe in One Day Cup showdown

Metro Bank One Day Cup: Worcestershire Rapids v Gloucestershire

Venue: Visit Worcestershire New Road

Date: Sunday 17th August

Scheduled start time: 11am

Worcestershire Rapids return home to face table toppers Gloucestershire, after a successful trip to Derbyshire on Friday saw them come away with a comfortable four wicket win and keep their unbeaten record in tact.

Looking to continue their charge at the top end of the Metro Bank One Day Cup Group A, something will have to give as the top two square off at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

A stunning 138 from Brett D’Oliveira saw Worcestershire ease to a four-wicket win over Derbyshire Falcons as the Rapids chased down 315 in style to maintain their unbeaten start in Group A of the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Electing to bowl first at Repton, the visitors were made to work hard in the heat as three wickets apiece for Ben Allison, Fateh Singh and Khurram Shahzad saw the Falcons collapse from 267-3 to 315 all-out after an excellent bowling fightback.

In response, it was D’Oliveira’s century that anchored the chase, as a mammoth stand of 183 with Jake Libby (69) for the second-wicket put the away side in the driving seat.

When D’Oliveira was eventually out for a career-best List A score, it was a late cameo of 42 not-out from debutant Dan Lategan that helped Worcestershire to another impressive win.

Worcestershire Head Coach, Alan Richardson, is refusing to get carried away, despite his side enjoying a fruitful run in the Metro Bank One Day Cup so far this campaign.

After going unbeaten in their opening four matches, the Rapids welcome their Bristol-based rivals on Sunday in good health, second in the Group A table.

Having shown their capabilities as a cohesive and well-organised batting unit, the Rapids are reaping the rewards of a settled and confident line-up, something that Richardson hopes will continue.

“The change to the 50-over format came at a good time for us. We were disappointed to not have quite done enough to to qualify at the last hour in the T20 Blast, but I am very happy with how the lads have kicked on and started this campaign. 

“Sometimes the change in format can just refresh and re-energise things amongst the group and with us being this far into the season we know what our general plans are and the players have plenty of cricket under their belts, so it’s a case of just trying to keep things ticking over. 

“We are under no illusions however, given the format of the competition and how quickly things can change and how fast fixtures come at you, we just need to keep our focus on what is directly in front of us.”

Having batted first in and posting scores North of 300 in both their opening two games, the Rapids have executed run chases of 196 and 315 in comfortable fashion against two more than capable oppositions in the most recent outings.

Although the plaudits rightly were heaped on Brett D’Oliveira for his career best List A score of 138 on Friday, the Worcestershire bowlers hit back towards the end of the Derbyshire innings with venom, taking seven wickets for less than 50 runs.

Friday’s all round display in the four-wicket win over the Falcons will serve as fuel for the side returning home, but even with an unbeaten record still preserved, Richardson is all too aware that what has gone before does not guarantee success or results moving forward.

“Absolutely we can, and will take lots of positives from Friday, in a game where I thought we applied ourselves and stuck to our tasks really well with the ball, before building an innings and working from a platform to execute that run chase of over 300, which is no mean feat no matter where or who you are playing. 

“However, that was then, Sunday poses another different task against a side who are also enjoying a very good run in this competition. 

“Whoever is selected will be fully focused on doing the right things in the right moments, trying to continue that positive feeling and confidence that is around the group at the moment and do all we can to put ourselves in a position to win a game of cricket.”

Last result: Beat Glamorgan by five wickets

Table position: 1st

One to watch: Cameron Bancroft

Less affected than most rivals by call-ups to The Hundred (only four), Gloucestershire proved themselves a one-day force by winning last season’s Vitality Blast.

Despite making a nightmare start to that competition this summer, they reeled off four successive group wins at one stage, beating the likes of Hampshire and Essex.

At the age of 32, Gloucestershire’s red-ball captain Cameron Bancroft boasts more than 3,000 runs in List A cricket at an average of over 40, with five hundreds, and will provide a wealth of experience at the top of the batting order.

The Australia Test player is fresh off the back of a timely 143 not-out during his side’s victory over Glamorgan on Friday, whilst having already produced innings of 163 and 176 in the Rothesay County Championship this season.