A taste of England action has only left Gloucestershire star James Bracey craving more as the County Championship season gets underway. Glos begin their Division One campaign on the road at Northamptonshire on Thursday, and the 24-year-old is intent on staking a fresh claim for international recognition.
The Bristol-born wicketkeeper-batsman was rewarded for his fine form at the County Ground at the start of last season with a call-up for his country, making his debut against New Zealand at Lord's and playing in the second Test at Edgbaston. The step-up, though, proved to be a brutal experience.
Three innings mustered just eight runs and his wicketkeeping – a job he was tasked with after Ben Foakes was ruled out with an injury – was heavily scrutinised against a backdrop of England's long-running malaise in Test cricket. Bracey was dropped from the squad for the subsequent India series and headed back to Bristol knowing he hadn't shown his true self on the biggest stage.
