Gloucestershire will have to defend their Vitality Blast crown without David Payne. The 35-year-old left-arm quick, a pillar of the club’s T20 rise, has opted for ankle surgery after tweaking the joint during a brief, two-match spell with Sunrisers Hyderabad in this year’s IPL.
The numbers show why it hurts. Payne topped the Blast wicket charts in 2024 with 33 at 12.75 and bagged 3 for 27 in the final against Somerset. Last summer he still managed 17 scalps, even though the Shire fell at the group stage. In between he enjoyed a lucrative winter: 3 for 42 in the ILT20 final for Desert Vipers, 3 for 18 in Perth Scorchers’ Big Bash triumph – the latter earning him Player of the Match.
Yet the ankle kept grumbling. Back in Bristol in early April, Payne tried rehab first. When that failed, the surgeon’s knife became inevitable.
“I’m absolutely gutted to be missing the Blast, and I’m very sorry to all our supporters,” he wrote on Instagram. “The decision to have surgery was an incredibly difficult one, and it was only taken after exhausting every possible avenue to get me back playing. Ultimately, this is the right decision for my long-term career, and I’m immensely thankful to all the coaches and medical staff at the club for their incredible support throughout this process. I’ll be cheering the team on from the sidelines and look forward to seeing everyone at the ground soon.”
Head coach Dale Benkenstein backed the call. “Dave’s hardly missed a game for us in ten seasons, so you know something’s up when he stops. Short-term pain, long-term gain – that’s how we see it,” he said. “We’d rather have him fit for the next three years than limping through June.”
Gloucestershire’s white-ball planning now needs a tweak. Payne normally opens the bowling, swings it with the new ball and nails yorkers at the death – a rare T20 package. Benkenstein hinted at a mix-and-match approach: Paul van Meekeren’s pace up front, maybe Tom Smith’s left-arm spin in the powerplay, and a late-overs role for teenage quick Ollie Price. “It’s never ideal,” he admitted, “but opportunities pop up for others.”
From Payne’s angle, the timetable is fairly straightforward. Ankle surgery in late May, a boot and crutches for a fortnight, then three months of strength work. If all goes smoothly he might target a return during the back end of the One-Day Cup or, more realistically, be fully primed for the start of next county summer.
For now, though, Gloucestershire’s hopes of regaining the Blast will proceed without the man who spearheaded the first title run.
