Gloucestershire will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take on Middlesex at Lords tomorrow.
Their last two results have been a loss against Glamorgan and a draw against Sussex.
Middlesex are also in a slump having lost their last game against Sussex and drawing their game with Glamorgan.
Despite this, Middlesex have a number of players that are in England contention, including opener Nick Gubbins and current England batsman Dawid Malan.
This match will also be the first time that Ryan Higgins has returned to Lords since his move to the Brightside at the end of last season.
So how can Gloucestershire nullify the threat of Middlesex?
Early wickets are key: Taking early wickets against a team like Middlesex will make a huge difference. To get rid of key batsmen like Malan and Gubbins early, would greatly benefit them as during the game against Sussex they scored the majority of the runs, especially during the second innings.
Get early runs: Scoring early runs against a team like Middlesex is important because a there is a constant theme of getting early wickets in the majority of their opening games of the season. A bowler to watch out for is James Harris, who has taken 21 wickets so far this season including 5-9, match figures of 9-48 against Northants at Lords.
Winning the toss: The toss is an important part of the game. As the away side, Gloucestershire will have the choice to bowl first, or if they feel it is a batting wicket, take the option of the toss to try and get the chance to bat first. Winning the toss can be the a very important moment in a cricket match and could be the difference in winning or losing.
