The 5 Year Plan
When the County Championship was created as an official entity, in December 1889, Gloucestershire were one of the 8 founding counties, who played in the very first competition the following summer. That year it was won by Surrey with the mighty Glos team, led by the legendary W.G. Grace himself, finishing 7th, above only Sussex.
Skip forward 123 years, and they still haven't won a County Championship. They've had 6 silver medals, and 6 one day trophies in that time, but the big 4 day prize has continued to elude them. In 2012, Gloucestershire finished rock bottom of the second division, 68 points off a promotion place to Division One. Now, though, they think they're on to something. They're not going to care about limited overs cricket any more. By becoming a 4 day specialist side, they feel they could be in with a chance of breaking their duck at long last, and maybe even win it multiple times.
A 5 year plan has been set in action. In the first, the county will aim for a respectable finish in Division 2, with possibility of a promotion push. In the second, they will go full out for promotion to Division 1, and after two seasons consolidating at the top table, they will go for the title in the 2017 season, if not earlier.
Since last year, the experienced keeper Johnathan Batty has retired and two young wicketkeepers have signed contracts with the club to try and replace him, Cameron Herring and South African born Gareth Roderick. The club have also managed to snap up 21 year old opener Tom Price, as the number of batsmen of the correct quality at the club was looking worryingly low.
It has been announced that prolific Australian opener Michael Klinger will be the captain of the First Class side, as one of the most experienced players ad to signal the beginning of a new era. The first match of the 2013 season will be against Essex at fortress Chelmsford, and the teams for that match are as follows.
Essex | Gloucestershire |
A. Cook | M. Klinger (C) |
H. Rutherford | T. Price |
R. Bopara | I. Cockbain |
J. Foster (C) (K) | H. Marshall |
M. Pettini | A. Gidman |
G. Westley | W. Gidman |
G. Smith | G. Roderick (K) |
G. Napier | E. Young |
S. Mahmood | D. Payne |
D. Masters | J. Fuller |
R. Topley | L. Norwell |
P.S - If any of the tables used in this story look weird, look at the full view at by clicking here... That weird frame thing annoys me!
P.P.S - The Golden Isles will return in the future, but this target-based story seems like a good challenge right now.
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