Richard Dawson, the new head coach, will oversee an experienced and cosmopolitan Gloucestershire side captained by Geraint Jones. The former England gloveman is four years older than Dawson, whose move from Yorkshire meant mixed feelings for the White Rose county.
Kevin Howells (BBC radio)
Rebuilding again. Tough one for Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey, the assistant head coach. Hopefully a few wins with some one-day success, in which case the season will deliver promise for the future.
David Fulton (Sky Sports News)
There’s no point pretending, losing both the Gidmans was a bit of a shocker. But Geraint Jones has been a good captain in four-day cricket, and will be a good guy to rebuild around.
It was instructive to be among the England Lions in South Africa, and specifically the seven Yorkshire players in the squad, when Gloucestershire announced the appointment of Richard Dawson as their new head coach at the end of January.
They had all worked closely with Dawson, a Yorkshireman who had gone home in the winter of 2013-14 to succeed Paul Farbrace on Jason Gillespie’s coaching staff at Headingley. None was happy to hear that he would be leaving the 2014 county champions.
Yorkshire’s chief executive Mark Arthur summed up their feelings in a gracious statement to mark Dawson’s departure. “We are disappointed to be losing him, he has been a crucial part of our coaching structure. However, we understand he’s an ambitious person who truly deserves this opportunity.
“His work with the second team and his assistance to Jason with the first team throughout the year have been excellent, and we will all miss him and what he has brought to our club.”
All of which must be music to the ears of Gloucestershire supporters who needed cheering up after a difficult 2014 campaign ended with the departure of the Gidman brothers – Will to Nottinghamshire and Alex to Worcestershire.
There has been more good news since then. Peter Handscomb, a young Australian batsman with a British passport who has had a prolific and occasionally record-breaking season for Victoria, has been signed for the full summer, meaning the county can regard the return of their former captain Michael Klinger in June as a bonus, rather than lamenting his absence in the spring.
“Peter’s signing is a really good thing for the club,” said Dawson. “It shows a bit of ambition from us, and it’s great that a young lad wants to come and show off his skills with us.”
Geraint Jones had already been signed to replace Klinger as first-class captain, a high-profile recruit for the county and also an appropriate move for the former England wicketkeeper, whose British adventure began in club cricket with Lydney before he was snapped up by Kent.
“He’s been there and seen it all, so he will be a cool head to have around,” added Dawson. “We see him acting as a sounding board for the young lads, but at the same time he’s still a very good cricketer in his own right.”
But the key to progress for Dawson and Gloucestershire will be in the continued improvement of the local players who form the nucleus of the county squad.
“The thing with our squad is that they have a hell of a lot of ability and talent, and they’re a hard-working bunch,” said the new coach, who at 34 is almost four years younger than his captain.
“The challenge is to find the consistency that a lot of young players and squads struggle with. That’s what we’ve been trying to reinforce. Every day we turn up and try to get better. When teams win a championship it’s not done by a fluke; it’s done by winning every session, or certainly the majority.”
Of those young players Will Tavare, the nephew of the former England batsman Chris who was second only to Alex Gidman in run-scoring in a breakthrough 2014 summer, has spent time playing club cricket in Sri Lanka this winter. Craig Miles, the tall 20-year-old seamer from Swindon, had his second stint on the Potential England Performance Programme in Potchefstroom - and the departure of Will, the younger Gidman brother, will leave greater responsibility on Miles and David Payne to lead the attack.
There is one other interesting recruit who has largely slipped under the radar - Kieran Noema-Barnett, a 27-year-old all-rounder from New Zealand with a British passport who has had considerable success with Central Districts in recent years, especially in limited-overs cricket, and has already joined up with the squad.
First win in the first match at the Bristol County Ground. Gloucestershire win by 4 wickets! Final scorecard - http://t.co/IkRX1RfQYj
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) March 19, 2015
Gloucestershire’s preparations have mostly been under a marquee on the outfield of the County Ground in Bristol, and they will launch their Division Two campaign away to relegated Northamptonshire on April 12.
Gloucestershire
Captain: Geraint Jones (LV= County Championship), Michael Klinger (NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London One-Day Cup)
Head coach: Richard Dawson
In: Tom Hampton (Buckinghamshire), Kieran Noema-Barnett (New Zealand), Geraint Jones (Kent), Peter Handscomb (Australia)
Out: Will Gidman (Nottinghamshire), Alex Gidman (Worcestershire), Dan Housego (released), Graeme McCarter (released)