Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire Royal London Cup: Clash Of The Table Toppers

Cricket

Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire: Teams will try to secure some early victories in the Royal London One Day Cup 2023 in order to climb the points table. Still, in the early rounds of the competition, teams will try to establish the right rhythm and composition before advancing. After having a great start, Worcestershire was hoping to make it 3 in 3, but Somerset defeated them in the last match. They will play through this game and try to improve in the next one, so all is not lost. Gloucestershire had a fantastic start to the competition, winning both of their games, but all fell apart when they lost their final game by a significant margin. Having suffered their lone loss in the previous five games, they will recover stronger.

The Royal London Cup, Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire will take place on 10th August 2023 at County Ground, New Road in Worcester.

Match Details to Note

Match: Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire Royal London Cup

Date: August 10, 2023 (Thursday)

Time: 03:30 PM IST

Venue: County Ground, New Road in Worcester.

Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire

Worcestershire (Match Odds- 1.77)

Preview

With a clean slate and a determination to leave the tragedies of last season behind them, Worcestershire managed to win their first two games in a row. They were favorites going into the third game, but they lost. They will try to use the lessons learned to improve and win the next game. Worcestershire hoped for a better start after being given the bowl first after losing the toss. They would not have preferred to pick up 9 wickets at the cost of 289 runs. The opposition batters had time to play themselves in because the bowlers were unable to get wickets early on. The best bowler was Ben Gibbon, who took 3 wickets for 58 runs. They would have hoped for a strong start in the chase, a big run from one of the top-order batsmen, and contributions from the other batters in order to successfully chase down 290. In actuality, none of the batsmen were able to turn their promising starts into massive ones and they kept losing wickets frequently. A 36-run defeat occurred as a result of being bowled out for 251. With 58 runs, Ben Cox led the team in scoring.

Full Squad:

Brett D Oliveira, Azhar Ali, Rob Jones, Jake Libby(c), Kashif Ali, Ben Cox(w), Matthew Waite, Joe Leach, Josh Baker, Dillon Pennington, Ben Gibbon, Henry Cullen, Adam Hose, Jack Haynes, Ed Pollock, Rehaan Edavalath, Olly Cox, Taylor Cornall, Usama Mir, Pat Brown, Adam Finch, Josh Tongue, Charlie Morris, Mitchell Stanley, Cameron Jones, Harry Darley.

Players to watch out for:

Azhar Ali

If tenacity and perseverance had a face, Azhar Ali is in the sketch. Azhar Ali, playing at number 3, is Pakistan’s equivalent of Rahul Dravid with a tight technique and a tonne of focus at the wicket. The comparison might not be accurate, but his batting strategy is predicated on exhausting the bowlers. He does well with this strategy, and he has creamed runs everywhere. He will be the player to watch out for in the upcoming match.

Dillon Pennington

Dillon Pennington has the height and natural strength to develop into a powerful fast bowler of elite caliber. He was a member of the Paul Pridgeon-led Worcestershire satellite academy in Shropshire, which has been so successful in developing new players recently. Prior to the 2018 season, he signed his first professional contract. Although his results were modest (22 wickets at 35 in Division One), former South African quick Morne Morkel praised him as Surrey won the Championship against Worcestershire at New Road in September of that year, calling him “blown away” by his potential.

Possible Playing XI:

Brett D Oliveira, Azhar Ali, Rob Jones, Jake Libby(c), Kashif Ali, Ben Cox(w), Matthew Waite, Joe Leach, Josh Baker, Dillon Pennington, Ben Gibbon

Gloucestershire (Match Odds- 2.05)

Preview

Since the end of the previous season, Gloucestershire has gone on a remarkable run. Things looked really good for Gloucestershire early in the season after two resounding victories, but their final game ended in a devastating loss. They’ll be hoping to put this season’s lackluster effort behind them and resume their winning ways. Gloucestershire had the worst possible start after being given the first opportunity to bat after losing the toss. Without Jack Taylor, their batting order would have struggled to score 100 runs when their lineup fell apart like a house of cards. Being dismissed for 120 runs was quite frustrating. With 55 runs, Jack Taylor led the team in scoring. The bowling division had to defend a very low total. When defending 121 runs, they were unable to take early wickets, which allowed the opponents to win by 8 wickets and hand Gloucestershire a crushing defeat. Tom Price bowled seven overs while taking just one wicket for 20 runs.

Full Squad:

Chris Dent, Tom Price, Oliver Price, James Bracey(w/c), Graeme van Buuren, Jack Taylor, Ben Wells, Anwar Ali, Zafar Gohar, Ajeet Dale, Paul van Meekeren

Players to watch out for:

Chris Dent

When he was still a teenager, Chris Dent, a highly skilled left-handed top-order batsman, was offered a spot in the Gloucestershire first XI. By the time he was 27, he had become such a staple that he was already Gloucestershire’s longest-serving player. He continued to be among the most reliable opening batsmen on the county circuit during the following few seasons, earning the captaincy of the Championship team. He will be the player to watch out for.

Paul van Meekeren

In the 2016 World Twenty20 qualifications, Paul van Meekeren made a name for himself by going 4 for 11 against Ireland. A trial game at Taunton Vale and his Dutch countryman Timm van der Gugten’s success at Glamorgan were reason enough for Somerset to extend a one-year deal to the end of the 2018 season to him midway through the 21016 season. This season he is playing for Gloucestershire and can be the match-winning player.

Possible Playing XI:

Chris Dent, Tom Price, Oliver Price, James Bracey(w/c), Graeme van Buuren, Jack Taylor, Ben Wells, Anwar Ali, Zafar Gohar, Ajeet Dale, Paul van Meekeren

Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire Head To Head

A total of 9 games have been played between Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire, out of which Worcestershire won 4 games and Gloucestershire won 5 games. The head-to-head score is almost even and watching the two play is always exciting.

Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire Toss Prediction

The team that wins the toss will attempt to win the toss and bowl first given the characteristics of the ground and the pitch. Although not known for producing pitches with significant scoring potential, the ground will hold up throughout. Batting second will be a wise move because rain is imminent.

Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire Pitch Report

The likelihood of rain is very high and the weather is expected to be extremely cloudy. The temperature range between the maximum and minimum will be between 25°C and 12°C.

Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire Match Prediction

This matchup features comparable starting lineups for both clubs. Both teams have had outstanding starts, winning their first two games handily, but after suffering a defeat in their most recent contest, they will be looking to rebound. This match has all the makings of a thriller and will be entertaining for spectators on the sidelines.

Worcestershire is predicted to win the game at the odds of 1.77