Who are the key players? How did they do last year? Where are they strong? Where might they be weak? Key questions answered ahead of the new T20 Blast campaign
Coach: Ian Harvey
Captain: Chris Dent
Last season: Semi-finals
How did they do last year?
Gloucestershire stormed to Finals Day for the first time since 2007, finishing top of the Central Group after seven wins from their 10 matches.
They then booked their place at Edgbaston with a seven-wicket thrashing of Northamptonshire.
But the big stage ended up being a damp squib in more ways than one. They were undone by a combination of the weather, which shortened their semi-final with Surrey to 11 overs-a-side, and their opponents' seamers who dealt with the conditions better and eased into the final against eventual champions Notts Outlaws.
However, this feels like the continuation of something, rather than the end.
Who are their key players?
Ian Cockbain and Chris Dent were imperious with the bat last season, scoring 399 and 372 runs respectively to supercharge Gloucestershire's run to Finals Day. The former's semi-final duck played a major role in the failure to reach the final.
With the ball, left-arm spinner Tom Smith was the tormentor in chief for opponents with 14 wickets in the group phase. David Payne claimed five wickets in last season's knock-out phase and having begun the red-ball campaign impressively is well-placed to pick up from where he left off as the limited-overs formats loom.
Glenn Phillips, ranked 30th in the men's T20 Player Index, is a handy addition as one of two overseas players alongside Daniel Worrall. The New Zealander scores at 149.70 at international level. His five centuries across all T20s suggest he could go big at one stage or another in this competition.
Glenn Phillips feels like a shrewd addition by the Bristolians
What are their biggest strengths?
“As a group of players everyone is extremely emotionally intelligent – they’ve gone through stuff, they’ve supported all of us," said Tom Smith during last season's run to Finals Day.
“We’re one big family and to survive all of that as a group of players – generally most of us have been there the whole time throughout all of those scenarios – it’s a very loving environment.”
Moments of tragedy have united this squad like few others on the circuit. They fight for each other, never shift the responsibility to perform and play as a unit. They might be the most closely-knit side in the country right now, and that makes them a formidable prospect.
Having reached at least the quarter-finals in four of the last five years last year's run to the last four was no fluke; they deserve to be regarded as one of the pre-tournament contenders again.
Where might they have a weakness?
While there are no signs yet that Ian Harvey won't be able to pick up the baton from Richard Dawson (he was his assistant since 2015 after all) having made a good start to the new LV=Insurance County Championship season, there is still a question mark over whether that will translate into the white-ball formats.
Dawson left behind a young, ambitious squad but eight players featured in 11 matches and that core will need to go again. James Bracey was among those but will be absent during swathes of the competition, though it isn't as if Gloucestershire don't have cover in the form of Phillips.
What are their chances of reaching Finals Day?
Gloucestershire are enjoying a purple patch across the formats, led by their recent white-ball exploits. A regular in the quarter-finals, there is no reason why they can't repeat that showing. Whether a maiden title will follow remains to be seen but there is no shortage of admirers.
Possible XI: Miles Hammond, Chris Dent, Ian Cockbain, Glenn Phillips, Ryan Higgins, Jack Taylor, James Bracey, Benny Howell, Tom Smith, David Payne, Daniel Worrall
Fixtures: June 10 – Glamorgan (a); June 11 – Sussex (h); June 13 – Kent (a); June 17 – Middlesex (a); June 18 – Essex (a); June 20 – Hampshire (h); June 22 - Kent (h); June 24 – Glamorgan (h); June 25 – Sussex (a); July 1 – Somerset (h); July 2 – Hampshire (a); July 9 – Middlesex (h); July 16 – Surrey (h); July 18 – Somerset (a)
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