Injury scare for overseas signing

GLOUCESTERSHIRE overseas player Cameron Bancroft was sent to hospital after a cycling accident left him concussed and ruled him out of the Sheffield Shield final.

Bancroft, a keen cyclist, fell off his bike and landed on his head on Sunday.

He was riding by himself when the incident took place and he’s since been ruled out of the final against Tasmania starting on Thursday at the WACA.

Bancroft’s loss is a huge blow for WA’S bid for a hat-trick of Shield titles after another impressive season where he is the second-highest run-scorer with 778 at 48.62.

Bancroft has signed up to return to Bristol this summer, playing in all formats.

Meanwhile, Gloucestershire have played two T20 matches on their South African pre-season training camp in Stellenbosch, winning both.

The first came against the Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy, with Ben Charlesworth scoring 110 off 66 balls, and Dumbleton CC product Tommy Boorman hit an unbeaten 48 as they made 191-2.

In reply, the Academy made 125-6 with two wickets for young spinner Ahmed Syed, and one apiece for Ollie Price, Ed Middleton and paceman Archie

Bailey - son of Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Kim plus a run out.

The second match was against Boland, who reached 133-6 with two wickets for Zaman Akhter and one each for Ollie Price and Middleton, plus two run outs.

Gloucestershire reached their target off 12 overs for an eightwicket win, James Bracey making 28 and Chris Dent 29 before Miles Hammond (54 not out) and Ollie Price (28 not out) saw them home.

Team v Gary Kirsten Academy: Phillips, B Charlesworth, Boorman, Syed, Wells, O Price (c), Middleton, Goodman, Bracey (wk), L Charlesworth, Bailey

Team v Boland: Bracey, Dent, Hammond, O Price, J Taylor (c), B Charlesworth, T Price, Akhter, Middleton, Shaw, Wells (wk)