Glo'shire CCC are set to do battle at Lord's in final of the C&G Trophy (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Glo'shire CCC are set to do battle at Lord's in final of the C&G Trophy

SATURDAY marks yet another huge occasion for one-day kings Gloucestershire CCC as Mark Alleyne's men prepare to do battle in the C&G Trophy final at Lord's.

In a re-run of last year's final, the County Ground team are set to face rivals Worcestershire in the showpiece event, which will be played out at the home of English cricket and a venue that Gloucestershire could think of as almost a second home.

Having captured six one-day awards in as many years under former head coach John Bracewell, the County will be looking to retain the trophy that they won last year after a whirlwind victory over their New Road rivals.

This would ensure new player-coach Alleyne his first piece of silverware, while going some way towards silencing those who claimed that the team's one-day dominance would end with the departure of Bracewell.

Alleyne himself is Gloucester-shire's main injury worry with the veteran all-rounder still recovering from a broken thumb.

It is thought that Alleyne was going to test the thumb in a 2nd XI game before throwing himself into the line-up for the final.

Gloucestershire also have a major fitness concern over seamer Mike Smith.

The left-arm fast bowler, who has been so influential in the county's one-day glories over the years, has been diagnosed with a slipped disc in his neck and is still a doubt.

An 11th-hour decision on Smith may be made overnight, though his absence would undoubtedly unsettle the side as well as the player himself, who is retiring at the end of the season to pursue a legal career.

Glo'shire also have a slight concern over seamer James Averis, who has been struggling with his fitness, while recent signing from Northamptonshire Michael Hussey will be hoping to bring his recent good form with the bat into his first showpiece final as a Gloucestershire player.

Fittingly, perhaps, a host of former Gloucestershire 'greats' gathered at the County Ground last week for a special players' reunion as the countdown to the final got under way.

The reunion marked the introduction of a new capping system to the county's past players, giving each individual player a unique place in Glo'shire's history by having a number which marks when they initially played for the club in a first class match.

This number was presented to each player in the form of a commemorative tie.

Gloucestershire legends in attendance at the reunion included dual football and cricket international Arthur Milton, whose first appearance was in 1948, marking his number as 392.

Former England rugby and Gloucestershire cricket star Alistair Hignell was also on hand to receive his number, which was 462, and David Graveney took time out from his England duties as chairman of selectors to receive his tie as number 459.

Also carving their name into Gloucestershire's history were John Mortimore at 398, David Allen at 410 and the county's chairman of cricket, Tony Brown, with number 411.

Among the current squad, four-day captain Chris Taylor claimed number 568 while Gloucestershire's most recent capping at 582 is Australian Hussey, who joined the county in July.

Chief executive Tom Richardson said: "While this is in one sense a move away from tradition and it is a more modern approach, we do feel that it will allow a player to cement his place in history and give him a perspective of some of the greats who have played before him.

"We also think it is very important to honour our retired players, and we have done this with this special tie with their specific number on it.

"It was tremendous to hear some of our greats talking about their era as if it were yesterday."