New role Bracey is named as new vice-captain of first-class side
ENGLAND Test hopeful James Bracey has been appointed vice-captain of Gloucestershire’s four-day side.
Bracey will start his new role as deputy to Chris Dent when the county start their LV= County Championship campaign against Surrey on Thursday, April 8.
The 23-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman recently agreed a new contract until the end of the 2023 season.
Bracey is on the fringes of the England Test team and only played once for the club in the Bob Willis Trophy last season due to his England commitments, then spent much of the winter with the national squad in Sri Lanka and India.
Bracey said: “It’s a huge honour to have been offered a leadership role within the four-day side this year. It’s been brilliantly led by Denty these past few seasons and I’m delighted to be vice-captain.
“Leadership is definitely something I’m keen to develop and I’m looking forward to offering what I can to the success of the group this summer.”
Dent added: “Bracey stood out as the perfect man for the vice-captaincy role. He has a great cricketing brain, is extremely professional and is in a great space with his own game.”
Bracey and Dent helped Gloucestershire win two T20 games against rivals Somerset at Bristol, by six runs and then five wickets.
In the first game, Dent top-scored on 38, with Benny Howell adding a quickfire 35, Graeme van Buuren 22 and Matt Taylor a 10-ball unbeaten 21 as the county made 172 for eight.
Taylor, Howell, David Payne, Ryan Higgins and van Buuren took a wicket each, and despite 61 from skipper Tom Abell, Somerset fell short on 166 for five.
Somerset batted first in the second game as both sides made changes. New signing Jared Warner and George Scott took two wickets and Tom Smith, Josh Shaw and Jack Taylor one each.
Will Smeed top-scored with 43 in Somerset’s 177 for seven, but T20 skipper Jack Taylor guided Gloucestershire home with an unbeaten 62, taking two sixes off Marchant de Lange in the final over.
Ian Cockbain hit a 30-ball 43 and Benny Howell 29, Gloucestershire winning off the penultimate ball.
The T20 games followed an encouraging batting performance in a two-day red-ball friendly with Somerset at Taunton.
Somerset scored 251 for seven on day one, Payne being the pick of the bowlers with two for 18 in 15 overs. Gloucestershire made 420 for eight, with several batsmen in the runs.
After Dent went for eight, Ben Charlesworth made 45 and Bracey 48.
Tom Lace went to his 50 from 80 balls, but fell for 71.
Jack Taylor retired out on 56, followed by Ryan Higgins retired out on 72, and George Scott reached 50 before the close.
The county’s final warm-up game was against Exeter University. In their first innings, Gloucestershire made 401 for nine before declaring.
Openers Dent (82) and Howell (51) put on 102 before Scott fell for 24 and
Dent retired out. Cockbain went for 34 and George Hankins for 42 before Jack Taylor (4), Tom Smith (2), Payne (9) and Josh Shaw (0) went cheaply, to leave Gloucestershire on 321 for nine.
Matt Taylor and Higgins put on 80 for the last wicket, with Higgins unbeaten on 93 and Taylor 34.
Payne then took four wickets and Matt Taylor three as the students were all out for 99.
Scott executed a superb run-out and there were also wickets for Shaw, and Harry Hankins.
Openers Bracey (7) and Howell (8) fell early in the county’s second innings before Lace (9) mistimed a pull to leave the county on 34 for three.
Scott was next to go for 27 and the county declared after 75 minutes of day three on 221 for six, Graeme van Buuren failing to add to his overnight 80 and Cockbain falling for 66 as the declaration came.
That left the students needing an unlikely 524 to win. At lunch, they were 17 for one, Payne with the wicket.
Shaw took a wicket early in the afternoon session before Matt Taylor struck twice, and Harry Hankins and Scott also got in on the act.
At tea, the University side reached 96 for six, with Matt Doran, top scorer in the first innings, unbeaten on 49.