Cameron Bancroft will rejoin Gloucestershire for 2024 season

The 31-year-old Australian opener Cameron Bancroft will mark a return to the familiar Gloucestershire setup for the upcoming 2024 County season in an all-format deal for the county. 

After the retirement of David Warner, there was a prime chance for Bancroft to return to the national fold, but Steve Smith’s willingness to open the innings has spurred the right-hander’s chances. Despite being named as the men's domestic player of the year at the Australian Cricket Awards this week, the Western Australian was ignored yet again. 

It will be the fifth appearance for Bancroft in the county setup, having represented Gloucestershire twice in 2016 and 2017 before an appearance elsewhere for Durham (2021) and Somerset (2023). 

"I'm absolutely delighted to sign with Gloucestershire and to have the chance to return to the club where I started my county career," Bancroft said.

On February 1 (Thursday), Gloucestershire announced Mark Alleyne as their head coach for the upcoming season, and Bancroft was buzzing to play in the new setup. 

"I love playing county cricket and the opportunity to play all formats with the club is something I'm really excited about. With a new coach and a really talented playing group, I'm looking forward to the season ahead."

It would be a huge challenge for Bancroft, given Gloucestershire’s tumbling returns, as they finished winless last season in the County Championship, finishing bottom. If that wasn’t enough, they also failed to qualify for the knockouts in the T20 Blast, with their silver lining being the semi-final finish in the Metro Bank Cup.