Gatting names 'ones to watch'

Watch the full interview with Mike Gatting on ECBtv as he reveals the ones to watch this year

The England and Wales Cricket Board have announced the four players whom ECB managing director of cricket partnerships, Mike Gatting, has selected as his Friends Provident Trophy 'ones to watch'.

Steven Finn, the 6ft 8inch bowler from Middlesex Crusaders, has been selected in the South East region. The medium-pacer travelled to India with the England Performance Squad pre-Christmas and then to Malaysia for the Under-19 World Cup where he was a stand-out performer.

Alex Gidman, Gloucestershire Gladiators’ vice-captain, has been chosen from the South/West region. A consistent performer for Gloucestershire since his debut in 2002, he has spent the winter playing domestic one-day cricket in New Zealand.

Gatting has opted for Graham Onions in the North region. The pace bowler has made regular appearances for the England Lions and was a key member of Durham Dynamos’ winning team in last year’s Friends Provident Trophy.

David Sales has been selected for the Midlands region. The former Northants Steelbacks captain has played consistently throughout his career and will be key to the Steelbacks’ campaign in this year’s competition.

Each region boasts one of the four Friends Provident Trophy 'ones to watch', whose progress will be closely followed throughout the competition on ecb.co.uk, ECBtv and The Telegraph online as well as featuring on YouTube. Interviews will be conducted at various stages across the tournament with the players and Gatting.

Steven Finn is one of Mike Gatting's 'ones to watch'

Gatting said: “These players are a mixture of young and the talented, all of whom I expect to make an impact on this year's Friends Provident Trophy, and I am sure the selectors will be monitoring performances closely.

“There is a great deal of talent out there across the counties, as well as Ireland and Scotland, so it wasn't easy to select just four! I'm sure the competition is going to be fiercely contested and we can expect some tight finishes which will keep spectators on the edge of their seats.”

The Friends Provident Trophy, which kicks off on Sunday April 20, has undergone some key changes for 2008. The two-division format has been replaced by four groups of five regionally-based teams to encourage healthy rivalry amongst the players and fans alike.

Quarter-finals have been introduced as an additional round to keep the competition alive for longer and these will be played on Wednesday June 4. The semi-finals will be played on July 4 and 5 and the final will be played at Lord’s on Saturday August 16. It remains the only domestic competition with a final at the home of cricket.

The competition continues to be a breeding ground for players looking to play for England as it is the only domestic competition that mirrors the one-day internationals making it the perfect tournament to showcase their talent in front of the England selectors.

Friends Provident Trophy groups:

North: Durham Dynamos, Lancashire Lightning, Yorkshire Carnegie, Derbyshire Phantoms, Scottish Saltires
Midlands: Ireland, Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Warwickshire Bears, Leicestershire Foxes, Northants Steelbacks
South/West: Gloucestershire Gladiators, Glamorgan Dragons, Worcestershire Royals, Hampshire Hawks, Somerset Sabres
South East: Essex Eagles, Middlesex Crusaders, Surrey Brown Caps, Kent Spitfires, Sussex Sharks