Promotion specialists aim high again for the cricket world cup |
Posted: April 3, 2019 |
“Getting up there don’t bother me, it’s staying up there that I mind,” Vin informs Chris in The Magnificent Seven as the two hired guns are approaching a cemetery. A vaguely similar distinction may have occurred to Worcestershire’s cricketers in recent years. The county has achieved promotion six times in 16 seasons since 2003 but their longest stay in the top tier has lasted just two summers. It is little wonder the easy line about the team being too good for one division yet not good enough for the other annoys skipper Joe Leach so intensely. None of which alters the fact that Worcestershire must now mount another attempt to win a spot in the first division, and this time they are probably not among the favourites for promotion. There is however, plenty of evidence to encourage the regulars at New Road. Although Joe Clarke has left for Nottinghamshire, his departure has been offset by the arrival of Riki Wessels from Trent Bridge. Moreover, last year was regularly punctuated by the news that one or more of Worcestershire’s fine young cricketers had signed new contracts and the squad now has a well-balanced look, something which will encourage Alex Gidman, the newly appointed first-team coach. Serious injuries to Leach and Josh Tongue disrupted Worcestershire last season but the pair are now fit to take their places in an impressive seam attack which also includes Ed Barnard, Pat Brown and a host of aspiring young fast bowlers. The most impressive of this latter group in 2018 was Dillon Pennington and Worcestershire’s ability to prepare talented cricketers for the fi rst-class game is a credit to academy director, Elliot Wilson. It also reflects well on cricket in Shropshire, which has been a productive recruiting ground in recent years. The stability of Worcestershire’s innings has long depended on the excellent Daryl Mitchell, but the opener should be assisted this year by Callum Ferguson, who is returning as the county’s main overseas player. Supporters will be hoping Tom Fell maintains the progress he achieved last year but Moeen Ali’s availability is likely to be restricted by his England commitments. Worcestershire have enjoyed enormous success in white-ball cricket in recent seasons and their triumph in last year’s Vitality Blast will live long in the memory, not least, perhaps because it was achieved at Edgbaston. But there have also been successive home semi-fi nals in the Royal London One-Day Cup and such a degree of consistency is diffi cult to achieve in a format in which a couple of bad overs can decide a game’s outcome. So many critics noticed Brown’s subtle variations last year that the seamer had a chance of an IPL contract, but also signifi cant has been the batting of wicketkeeper Ben Cox, the uncomplicated hitting of Ross Whiteley and the all-round talents of Brett D’Oliveira. Yet, whatever success they enjoy in the limited-overs stuff this summer, Worcestershire are among the many second division sides who know their season will be judged on whether they win promotion. No county has more experience of such struggles and Worcestershire’s ambitions reach beyond merely surviving in the fi rst division. Like Essex, Somerset and others, they believe counties not based at Test match venues can prosper and even supporters of the leviathans will wish them well for the icc cricket world cup 2019 matches list.
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