We’ve played well against them and we’ll take them on - Croft

26 Jul 2018 | Cricket
Head Coach Robert Croft has thrown down the gauntlet to his side as they prepare to take on Gloucestershire on in the Vitality Blast at Cheltenham on Friday.

Glamorgan go into the match on the back of a disappointing defeat to Sussex in the Specsavers County Championship, but Croft believes his side has everything to play for in the Blast, having won two out of four matches so far.

“The competition itself is quite wide open,” said Croft. “It’s early days with ten games to go, so we’ll take each game in isolation and try and put in our best performance each game that we play.”

Gloucestershire, meanwhile, go into the match in second place in the table with three wins out of five. Croft believes that it will be a good contest, with the Welshmen having won on four of their last five visits to Gloucestershire, albeit in Bristol.

“We’ve played well against them and we’ll take them on. They’re a dangerous team. I’d say that about every team you ask me about.

“Every team has their match winners. We have ours. It’s all on the day.”

Having suffered ten-wicket defeats in their previous Championship and T20 matches at the College Ground, Croft insists that his side won’t be haunted by those results when they return.

“This is a competition that’s very different,” added Croft. “It’s a very nice ground and we’ve had some good times there in the past. They normally get a good crowd in, so the boys are all looking forward to it.”

A key figure in the Glamorgan ranks is fast bowler and red-ball captain Michael Hogan, who needs just three wickets for 100 wickets in all T20 cricket, with 86 of them coming for the Welsh side. Of the Australian’s impending milestone, Croft said: “He’s a stellar performer for us and the form he’s shown so far this season has been brilliant.

“He leads the way, both on and off the field and is fully committed to every game that’s played. Whether he does or doesn’t have a good game, he’s always striving for improvement, so I’m really pleased for him.”

Article written by Alun Rhys Chivers for the ECB Reporters Network