Gloucestershire will start the defence of their T20 Blast title against Kent at Bristol tomorrow (7pm) in good spirits.

That’s the view of head coach Mark Alleyne who has been “really pleased” with how the team have performed in their opening seven county championship games.

New skipper Cameron Bancroft has guided them into fourth spot in the eight-strong Division Two – they finished seventh last season – and although they have won only one game, they have picked up a stack of batting and bowling points.

Many of the players who have been featuring in those four-day games will also play in the quickfire format, although the T20 side will also include skipper Jack Taylor, left-arm seamer David Payne and new Australian overseas signing D’Arcy Short, a 34-year-old left-handed hard-hitting batsman who also bowls left-arm unorthodox spin.

They will link up with the likes of Bancroft, James Bracey and Ollie Price who have all enjoyed stellar starts to the season.

“I’ve been really pleased with the way the players have invested in trying to win four-day games,” said Alleyne.

“We may have been a bit conservative in games one, two and three, but the team are really blossoming, they are showing a real ambition to get four-day wins.

“We’re getting progressively better every time we play, it’s really exciting watching them, there have been a lot of contributions across the whole group.”

Alleyne was speaking at a Cheltenham Cricket Festival launch night at Dunkertons in Cheltenham, where he was joined by Bancroft, Bracey and Cameron Green, as well as Gloucestershire vice-chairman and former club captain David Graveney.

Australian Test star Green has been in outstanding form, hitting three centuries and a half-century in his five games for the club, making 128 and 67 not out in the three-wicket win over Kent earlier this month.

“Cameron Green’s contribution has been immense, it’s a shame it’s come to an end,” continued Alleyne.

“But they are all getting runs, Ollie Price’s 250 at Old Trafford, Brace has got a couple of hundreds, Cam Bancroft, it’s all very exciting.”

Gloucestershire have hit nine centuries this season – they’ve collected 21 batting points – but while the top order is clearly in good shape, the bowlers have also been impressing as well.

Seam bowler Ajeet Singh Dale is in the England A squad who play India A in a four-day game tomorrow and Alleyne said: “We’ve not quite nailed it every game but the bowling is getting better and better.

“Young [Archie] Bailey has come in for his first game and taken six wickets, backing up his really good debut at Lord’s; the bowling is looking healthy, as a coach I’ve got a really good feeling about the group, I’m already looking forward to the next seven championship games.”

Their next four-day match is against Derbyshire at Bristol on Sunday 22^nd June, by which time they will have completed half their 14-game T20 Blast South group campaign.

Their penultimate group match is against Sussex at Cheltenham on Thursday 17^th July when they will have hoped to secure a place in the top four and with it a place in the knockout stages.

And there is plenty of excitement ahead of this season’s competition.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Bancroft. “It can be quite challenging because the different formats demand and ask for different things.

“But the beautiful thing is you can chop and change, and after seven championship games it can be nice to go and slog a few!

“It’s really good fun and it’s a nice way to break up the season.”