The final Specsavers County Championship match to begin this week does so in Cheltenham on Wednesday morning when Gloucestershire play host to the leaders Essex in a crucial Division Two match up.
Gloucestershire are condensed in a tightly packed division behind Essex but it is the Chelmsford based side who have the chance to steal a march on the rest in this match. Essex begin the week a point clear of Worcestershire with a game in hand so every point they can get from this one will be vital.
Gloucestershire
The Bristol based side go into the match in fifth place in the table but a win here will move them into third and they will be within touching distance of Essex with a game in hand of them but a defeat would see Essex into the sunset leaving Gloucestershire with just the one day competitions to keep them motivated for the rest of the season.
Gloucestershire have had two wins and a defeat in the Championship so far this season with five draws and while the weather has been a part of the issue in the longer format of the game they have only picked up 20 of the 24 bowling bonus points of offer which could be quite telling.
Gloucestershire go into this match without Ian Cockbain and Matt Taylor who drop out of the squad but there is room in it for David Payne. Josh Shaw is now back with Gloucestershire having been recalled then loaned out again by Yorkshire and he could feature.
Essex
The leaders Essex have been setting the pace from the get go in this division this season and a win here will keep them top of the table with matches beginning to run out. If they can win with a decent array of bonus points then they will be in a really strong position but you sense whatever happens here promotion will be settled next month when Essex face Worcestershire.
Essex are without Alastair Cook for this match but they were never going to get him for this match anyway so that isn’t a massive issue. They have a fully fit squad to choose from aside from that and look to be well balanced with the bat and the ball.
Betting
Essex have already delivered a 10 wicket beating to Gloucestershire this season and I don’t see anything but another win for the Eagles here but they are priced accordingly and so it isn’t a match for me to get stuck into from the off.
I will keep an eye on the match though especially with Cheltenham being largely a school ground which can deteriorate as we go along so there might be an opportunity to get on something in play. If there is I shall include an update in the daily T20 threads up and over the weekend.
Tips
No Bet
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