JAMES Bracey looks set to make only his second Specsavers County Championship appearance for Gloucestershire against Leicestershire at Grace Road, starting today.

The 20-year-old Bristol-born wicketkeeper-batsman, who made his debut in the final match of last season against Sussex, has been named in a squad of 12 and seems certain to play.

Bracey could bat as high as four in a Gloucestershire top order, which has failed to fire as a unit for much of the season.

With George Hankins set to retain his place, head coach Richard Dawson is looking to the future, while also expecting an improved team performance against the bottom club in the Championship.

Josh Shaw could make his first appearance since signing for a second spell on loan from Yorkshire, although Matt Taylor is also competing for a place in a seam attack still without David Payne because of injury.

Will Tavare drops out to make way for Bracey, who has been impressing in recent second XI games, with a hundred against MCC Universities and a half-century against MCC Young Cricketers.

The product of Winterbourne Cricket Club also has first class experience with Loughborough University and has progressed through Gloucestershire’s age group team and Academy since the age of 11.

Payne is suffering from a reaction to the hernia operation he had this summer and will continue his recovery in the second XI this week.

Fellow seamer Liam Norwell goes into the Leicestershire game needing four wickets to reach 50 for the season.

The hosts are in disarray, having failed to win any of their 11 Championship matches, losing six of them.

They have parted company with head coach Pierre de Bruyn after only one season. Graeme Welch and John Sadler will be caretaker charge for their three remaining matches.

The reverse fixture at the Brightside Ground in April saw Gloucestershire win by an innings and six runs with a day to spare.

Even so, Dawson is warning his team to expect a tough examination. “There have been a lot of changes at Leicestershire and they have some good individual players,” he said.

“It’s all about us as far as I am concerned. We need to be scoring bigger first innings runs to gain control of the scoreboard and exert some pressure for our bowlers to exploit.

“We keep on talking about it and it’s time for our batsmen to be scoring hundreds, rather than 30s and 40s.”

Gloucestershire (from) C.Dent, C.Bancroft, G.Roderick, J.Bracey, G.Hankins, P.Mustard (capt), J.Taylor, K.Noema-Barnett, T.Smith, M.Taylor, L.Norwell, J.Shaw.