Bancroft joins Gloucestershire for early season

Gloucestershire have signed Cameron Bancroft, the Western Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, for the first two months of the English season.

Bancroft, who made his Australia debut in the final T20 against India in Sydney this month, comes with the recommendation of Western Australia team-mate Michael Klinger for who Bancroft will stand in for during the opening part the season.

His signing makes it a trio of Western Australia players at Gloucestershire alongside Klinger and pace bowler Andrew Tye. Bancroft will be available for five Championship matches before Klinger returns towards the end of May.

Bancroft, who was named in Australia's Test squad for the cancelled tour of Bangladesh last year, scored 896 runs in the 2014-15 Sheffield Shield season and followed that with 224 runs in the two-match series for Australia A against India A.

Richard Dawson, the Gloucestershire head coach, said: "Maxy [Michael Klinger] has given him really good reviews - he said he's very fit, hard-working and is committed to trying to improve and kick on

"His attitude and the fact that he is 23 means he is a really good fit for our changing room which is also important.

"He will bolster our batting during that period and he also gives us cover with the gloves if required. I talked to him this week and his hunger to come over and have a crack at county cricket really impressed me. He wants to come and learn and improve his game and that was massive for me."