Gloucestershire show interest in Marshall

Gloucestershire have admitted they are interested in bringing New Zealand's batsman Hamish Marshall to the county next season.

Marshall has recently established himself in the Kiwis side and averages 48.58 in Tests. "He's someone we're interested in," Tom Richardson, Gloucestershire's chief executive, told Cricinfo. "We wanted to bring him in last season as an overseas replacement and he was very keen but it didn't quite fit his schedule with New Zealand."

Gloucestershire were relegated from the top tier of the County Championship last year, and they are keen to add strength to their batting as they look to bounce straight back. "We're looking for a top-order batsmen who can bring real quality to the county," said Richardson. "We believe someone like Marshall would be a huge benefit on and off the field and is the kind of man who can enthuse our younger players."