Bancroft hits big century on Gloucestershire captaincy debut

Cameron Bancroft has demonstrated exactly why Gloucestershire have entrusted him with the captain's armband this season with a big County Championship hundred less than 48 hours after arriving in England.

The 32-year-old, who endured a difficult Australian summer, showed he hasn't lost his run-scoring appetite, compiling 163 off 267 balls with 19 fours and two sixes, to flay Glamorgan at Bristol on Friday.

The ever-solid opener was still being touted as making a potential comeback to the Australian Test team a few months ago before a tough run of form to start the home season followed by a broken shoulder blade and nose suffered in a fielding collision in the Big Bash made for a challenging summer.

But with Gloucestershire, for whom he had shone in a third spell last summer, appointing him captain for 2025, Bancroft is evidently determined to repay their faith as he went past 11,000 first-class runs in his career with a 31st ton off 166 balls.

He shared a second-wicket stand of 230 with Ollie Price, who made 101 as Glamorgan paid the price for putting the hosts in, with Gloucestershire amassing 3-368.

Price was full of admiration for his skipper, who only arrived at Bristol on Wednesday after the long-haul flight and then went straight to practice.

"He's continuing the same impact he had when he wasn't captain last year," said Price.

"He's such a high-class operator. Straight off the plane and straight in the runs, I don't think anyone's surprised."

Bancroft, fighting jet lag, had a bit of a dodgy start, surviving a couple of near-misses in the field and getting dropped – although a difficult chance – by wicketkeeper Chris Cooke on 48.

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But after reaching 150 off 259 deliveries, it seemed only weariness beat him as he wafted at a wide ball from Ned Leonard and was caught behind.

Bancroft was not the only Australian county captain to thrive on Friday as Peter Handscomb continued his bright start as Leicestershire skipper at Grace Road with another half-century – ending up with 63 off 101 balls – against Derbyshire as they compiled 9-423.

Sussex's evergreen 36-year-old Aussie opener Daniel Hughes looked on course for his first half-century of the season against Somerset at Hove before being trapped lbw by South African Migael Pretorius for a 93-ball 49.

In the morning, the NSW left-hander had put on a century second-wicket partnership with Tom Clark, which proved the bedrock of Sussex's total of 294 before Somerset struggled to 5-62 in response.

Dan Worrall's eagerly awaited seasonal debut, in the year he could become the first man since 1899 to play Test cricket for both Australia and England, got off to a bright start at The Oval.

The seamer bowled Hampshire opener Fletcha Middleton in his first spell (1-15) as champions Surrey tried to hit back after being bowled out for 253, with former England opener Dom Sibley carrying his bat for 100no.

Victoria's Fergus O'Neill had made a striking debut with the ball for Nottinghamshire last week but this time shone with the bat, coming in at 6-167 as they were struggling against Essex at Trent Bridge and knuckling down with 42 off 60 balls to help them recover to 8-328.

Australians in County Cricket for 2025

Derbyshire: Caleb Jewell

Durham: Brendan Doggett (April-May)

Glamorgan: Marnus Labuschagne

Gloucestershire: Cameron Bancroft, Cameron Green (April-May)

Hampshire: Ellyse Perry (July), Charli Knott (April-July), Jack Edwards (April-May)

Kent: Wes Agar, Tom Rogers (T20 Blast only)

Lancashire: Chris Green (June-July), Marcus Harris, Ashton Turner (June-July)

Leicestershire: Peter Handscomb

Northamptonshire: Ashton Agar (T20 Blast only), Liam Guthrie (local player), Harry Conway (May)

Nottinghamshire: Moises Henriques (T20 Blast only), Fergus O'Neill (until April 28), Daniel Sams (T20 Blast only), Heather Graham (May-July)

Somerset: Riley Meredith, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Surrey: Grace Harris (T20 Blast only)

Sussex: Daniel Hughes, Nathan McAndrew (June-July), Gurinder Sandhu (June-July)

Warwickshire: Beau Webster

Worcestershire: Ben Dwarshuis (T20 Blast only)

Yorkshire: Will Sutherland (T20 Blast + 2 County), Jordan Buckingham (four matches in May)

2025 Division One standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Drawn D	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Yorkshire YRK	2	1	1	0	0	5	6	27
2 Nottinghamshire NOT	1	1	0	0	0	3	3	22
3 Hampshire HAM	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	19
4 Somerset SOM	1	0	0	1	0	5	3	16
5 Sussex SSX	1	0	0	1	0	4	3	15
6 Essex ESS	1	0	0	1	0	4	2	14
7 Warwickshire WAR	1	0	0	1	0	4	2	14
8 Worcestershire WOR	2	0	1	1	0	0	4	12
9 Surrey SRY	1	0	0	1	0	2	1	11
10 Durham DUR	1	0	1	0	0	3	2	5

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

D: Drawn

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points

2025 Division Two standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Drawn D	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Kent KEN	2	2	0	0	0	0	6	38
2 Leicestershire LEI	1	1	0	0	0	4	3	23
3 Derbyshire DBY	1	1	0	0	0	3	3	22
4 Middlesex MSX	2	0	1	1	0	1	5	14
5 Lancashire LAN	1	0	0	1	0	2	3	13
6 Gloucestershire GLO	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	3
7 Northamptonshire NOR	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	3
8 Glamorgan GLA	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	2

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

D: Drawn

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points