Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the County Championship...
Fixture: Gloucestershire v Surrey
Venue: Bristol County Ground
Dates: Thursday, April 8th, 2021 – Sunday, April 11th, 2021
Start time: 11am
What’s the lowdown?
Gloucestershire struggled in 2020, winning just one match in the Central group to finish fifth. They will be hoping to get back to winning ways in the County Championship this season but have been placed in a difficult group, containing Somerset, Surrey, Middlesex, Leicestershire, and Hampshire. Next week they face a daunting trip to Somerset but first up, a tough clash at home to Surrey.
Their opponents also had a disappointing showing in the Bob Willis Trophy, winning just one match, and have only won three of their last 19 red-ball matches. However, their last two seasons have been plagued with injuries and England absentees, and they lifted the County Championship title as recently as 2018.
They are embarking on their first full season under Vikram Solanki and, with a restored squad, should not be underestimated.
What’s the team news?
Gloucestershire are without Ben Charlesworth who dislocated his shoulder in pre-season while Jared Warner (side strain) is rested. Overseas duo Kraigg Brathwaite and Dan Worrall are also unavailable – Brathwaite is quarantining after entering the UK, while Worrall will arrive later this month.
Meanwhile, Surrey are without veteran allrounder, Rikki Clarke, who is currently unable to train. England tourists Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Amar Virdi, and Reece Topley are back in contention but Jason Roy and the Currans will miss the first eight matches due to IPL commitments.
Gloucestershire squad: Chris Dent, James Bracey, David Payne, Jack Taylor, Josh Shaw, Graeme van Buuren, Ryan Higgins, George Hankins, Jack Taylor, Tom Lace, George Scott, Tom Smith, Miles Hammond
Surrey squad: Rory Burns, Hashim Amla, Gus Atkinson, Jordan Clark, Matthew Dunn, Ben Foakes, Will Jacks, Daniel Moriarty, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, Mark Stoneman, Reece Topley, Amar Virdi
What’s the weather forecast?
The weather at Bristol looks to be dry and cloudy over the next four days with temperatures peaking at 12 degrees on Thursday.
Keep up with the weather at the Bristol County Ground with the Met Office's rolling forecast. Click here.
How do I follow the match?
TV/stream: The match will be available on Gloucestershire's live stream. Click here to create an account.
Surrey fans can also access the stream through the Surrey website (click here) and the club's YouTube channel.
Radio: BBC Local Radio and the BBC Sport website will carry ball-by-ball radio commentary of the game.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry daily updates from every County Championship match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.
Going to the game?
Tickets: This match is to be played behind closed doors owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
Travel: Not applicable owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
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OTHER MATCH PREVIEWS
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
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