Klinger burnishes Gloucs T20 hopes

Last season:
Championship: 6th Div 2; NatWest Blast: QF; Royal London Cup: 8th South Group
In: Phil Mustard (Durham)
Out: Tom Hampton (released), Hamish Marshall
Overseas: Michael Klinger, Cameron Bancroft, Andrew Tye (T20) (all Aus).

2016 in a nutshell
Gloucestershire looked unstoppable in the group stages of the NatWest Blast only to lose their best chance of a trophy by falling to Durham in a home quarter-final in Bristol on a night when Mark Wood's fast bowling was at his most explosive. Their Royal London Cup standards were disappointing, especially after winning the trophy the previous year, and they finished sixth in Division Two of the Championship, despite the satisfaction of beating the eventual winners Essex at Cheltenham, a campaign in which they suffered most markedly for the lack of an influential allrounder. Chris Dent was the mainstay of the batting in the Championship and Benny Howell's sleight of hand made him a stand-out bowler in the Blast.

2017 prospects
Gloucestershire's head coach Richard Dawson makes no bones about the fact that the absence of the prolific Michael Klinger, who will play only limited-overs formats this season, and Hamish Marshall, who retired from county cricket at the end of last season, will put the club's Championship batting under immense strain. Australian Cameron Bancroft, a short-term replacement for Klinger last season, will hope for better things as he returns for the whole season and Phil Mustard, signed from Durham as a wicketkeeper-batsman, has a big challenge ahead of him. Twenty20 again seems to be their strongest suit.

In charge
Dawson made an immediate impact at Gloucestershire as they won the Royal London Cup in his first year and followed up with a strong performance in T20, but third time of asking could be his biggest test. Australian Ian Harvey is his assistant. Klinger, finally selected by Australia this winter at 36 when he played three T20Is - and successfully too - leads in both one-day formats. The toughest challenge faces wicketkeeper-batsman Gareth Roderick who oversees the four-day side. It would ease the weight on his shoulders if Mustard held down a Championship spot.

Key player
Mustard was a crowd-pleaser during his time at Durham, a dishevelled and somewhat untamed force with bat and gloves, and there was much sorrow in the northeast when he was moved on. Whether "The Colonel" can win such approval in Bristol remains to be seen. When he left Durham in July, he had not played in the Championship for the county for more than a year, and had not played well in four-day cricket for even longer. He put that right at the end of 2016 to win a contract at Gloucestershire, but expect his greatest impact to come in the limited-overs formats where his appetite remains strong.

Bright young thing
Matt Taylor, a powerful left-arm quick, has spent time this winter with England's Pace Programme in South Africa. Taylor, younger brother of Jack, who is also on the books, had an excellent NatWest T20 Blast campaign in 2016, even managing a collector's item by bowling a maiden at Chris Gayle. Not many can claim to have done that. One of several seam bowlers who Gloucestershire need to progress once more.

ESPNcricinfo verdict
Gloucestershire make the best of their resources under Dawson, and as long as Klinger's potency remains they will also be dangerous in Twenty20, but it is hard to make much of a case in the Championship unless their young seamers hit the jackpot all at once.

Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship, Div 2: 12-1; NatWest Blast: 16-1; Royal London Cup: 20-1