Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC) and the Gloucestershire Cricket Board (GCB) have worked together during the off season to develop a scheme to support selected cricket clubs around Bristol and Gloucestershire.

This scheme will see 12 of the county’s professional players testing their wits against local club cricketers whilst playing for West of England Premier League tier one to three clubs throughout the season. A further seven players will be acting as non playing ambassadors for local clubs.

Steve Silk, GCB Cricket Development Manager, said: “The initiative has been set up to allow Gloucestershire Cricket to give something back to local cricket and what better for a clubs membership than to be able to play and train week in week out with a star of the game.

“Clubs across the county do so much for recreational cricket and many of them have a huge workforce of volunteers and coaches that work tirelessly to try and develop the Gloucestershire players of the future, to keep cricket sustainable and as strong as it currently is. It’s a small way that we can say thank you.”

The theme of allocating players is now in its third year and for the 2011 season it has gone through a transformation.

In 2009 and 2010 Gloucestershire allocated players to local clubs whereas this year the selection of the professionals has been in the hands of those deserving clubs.

Rockhampton can call on the services of 18-year-old batsman Michael Beard, with former New Zealand international Hamish Marshall acting as an ambassador, who will help and support the club at functions and prizegivings.

Premier One side Thornbury have chosen all-rounder Will Gidman as their county star and they already have youth product Chris Dent in their ranks.

Gloucestershire assistant coach Stuart Barnes said: “Club cricket is important to us and we’re pleased to be able to support local clubs the way we are.

“The system we’re using will enable successful clubs to receive the benefit of picking one of our professional players. Our players are expected to give back to their clubs and show what being a professional cricket player is all about.

“We hope to see more players come through the local club system and into professional cricket over time.”