Relegated Worcestershire seek one-day consolation (11)
- 3 Sep 07, 12:43 PM
Twenty-four hours after their relegation from County Championship Division One was confirmed don't want sympathy or patronising, just a couple of weeks to put this 2007 season to bed by winning the Pro40 title.
I spent a few days and judging by the way the lads tucked into their pre-practice kick-about with a football there remains a spirit within the dressing-room which must contradict the torment some of them have felt this summer.
The sort of records broken at their over the past few months were not the sort captain Vikram Solanki was envisaging back in April.
I caught a couple of minutes with him as he was about to leave the Riverside last Friday.
He smiled as I tried to tease out of him all the excuses he could lay out for what has gone wrong - such as their base becoming a river twice this year - but he won't have it.
He said: "It's been tough for numerous reasons, but some have been well documented. The fact of the matter is we haven't played as well as we would have liked in Championship cricket, but we can take a lot of heart from the way we have gone about our one-day cricket.
"But in Championship cricket it is very difficult once you get into a rut to try to bounce back and get some results. I'm not in the game of making excuses, but there have been circumstances that have been difficult for the boys to cope with. We have just tried to get on with it the best we can, but at times it hasn't been good enough."
It's true you can't escape the fact the team made a poor start to the season but they weren't on their own. Look at Sussex and Surrey who also have taken time to get going.
But at the midpoint of the season when maybe coach Steve Rhodes and his skipper could be putting into practice what they could see was going wrong, the coach at least was checking out how many swimming badges he'd obtained at school before paddling his way to the New Road dressing-room.
I hope it goes without saying that I fully appreciate this summer's rain has brought more than just sports misery to people from Hull to Gloucester and many points in-between.
However, if Worcestershire weren't good enough, why was that the case? Well, the overseas signings didn't bring them everything they might have wanted. The signing of Phil Jaques at the time was thought by many to be one of the best a county could make. No doubting his talent, but he didn't fire as quickly and decisively this time around. I'm sure would have liked to have taken more wickets.
Solanki also admitted that the absence of was a huge loss and the impact could also have taken its toll on former England international Kabir Ali.
He said: "Matt has been a stalwart for us in our attack. He's a guy that last year and previous years has been a linch-pin, a chap that does the hard yards and gets us wickets and at a consistent rate and economically as well. We've been trying to get him back all year but we have to accept that this season has been all but written off for him."
"has been brilliant for us this year and he has burdened all the responsibility of leading the bowling attack and I can't speak highly enough of his efforts throughout the year. He's bowled with pace and smartly and he's bowled a lot of overs and he's kept running in for us week in and week out. It's probably no surprise that he's a little bit tired."
I maybe wrong but among those who hold no allegiance to a team involved, and , it might well be warmly received if Worcestershire won the Pro40 title this year.
Solanki certainly has less of a smile and more of steel about him thinking of the next two weeks.
"We've played one-day cricket well for a number of years and it would be good this year if we could win it for no other reason other than the fact the we probably deserve some silverware considering the way we've played. With all that has gone on it's made it more of a focus for us.
"If we can manage to play well in the run-in and play no different to the way we have and not react to any pressures of it being the last games of the season, I and the rest of the lads will be confident that we might have some reward for that."
And then we hope for a summer to remember and not forget in 2008.
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It's a shame we did so badly this year, the weather didn't help but our batting at times was appalling. Hick has managed to hit quick fire runs consistently, but with us managing to get second rate overseas players this cannot help our progress.
Not sure how we will progress next year either. Can we rely on Hick gettig us thorugh yet again ???
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The championship season has been dissapointing and one reason is surely that we don't have any quality support for Kabir. Doug Bollinger has not performed and Nadim Malik is still infuriatlngly inconsistent.
The batting has also let itself down. When you look at the names involved Worcester should not be getting out for such low scores. Only Hick has had a decent season. You can carry one out of touch batsman but Worcester had to carry 4.
At the start of the season there were many games lost that should have been drawn. It seemed that there was a lack of application when the opportunity to win was taken away. What makes Worcester such an exciting side has also led to their downfall in the longer form.
Next season we need a bowling all rounder as the OS player and to drop big name batters (I include Moore, Smith and Jacques - if he is at New Road - here) when they cannot score runs. We don't wan to lose Mitchell and Moeen just when Hick or Smith decide they have had enough.
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I think on the whole Kent supporters dont begrudge anyone winning a trophy if they've played good cricket - which if Worcestershire do, then well done to them as they'll have played the best cricket.
However, purely combative cricket isn't the problem between Kent and Worcestershire.
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As a big Worcs fan, this season has been disappointing in the Championship, but there have been many highlights this season in the One Dayers as well as Hicky getting 40,000 first class runs.
Disappointing to see the England selectors continue their lousy team selection, but hey they've been doing that to Worc players for years. How Tom Moody didn't get the England Coach role I'll never know.
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Mark, you seem to have a lack of understaning between right and wrong. It is illegal and morally wrong to steal anything off anyone. If Hick has balled out Ali for stealing his towell ( what might he pinch next ) then hopefully Ali realises it is not acceptable to be a thief. Your lack of sense is made to look worse when you look at Hick's outstanding record in the Pro 40 and the fact that all Worcester's other batsmen this season have been a disgrace. At this rate Worcester will still need Hick in 10 years time. He is Worcester's best player - think about it !!
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Looks like Kent will be able to continue their feud with us in division 2 next season. good luck to them, we'll be trying to get promoted.
I think Kent's refusal to shift the 21/8 match form Canterbury to, say, Penzance where it was sunny for 4 days might have cost them the chance of staying up.
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A disappointing Championship season but good to see the captain accepting the team didn't perform . Can't blame the rain for that . Really hope the team can bounce back .
Here's to next season , and a drought .
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As a Kent fan I'd like to wish Worcestershire all the best in the Pro40 and I'd love to see them win it. I personally don't bear any grudges about earlier in the season towards Worcestershire. They have admitted their mistake and had genuine reasons for making it. I do have problems with the four counties who wouldn't support proper compensation for Kent. That's why I would also like Sussex to rob Yorkshire, Lancashire and Durham by winning the championship, and hopefully Warwickshire will join their neighbours in division 2.
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help !! there is no audio on sports extra !
trying to listen online in oz! help !
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They will be dancing in the streets of Kiddy on Sunday night
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The current game against Hampshire is unfortunately typical of the Pears season in the Championship this year. Hampshire batsmen have shown how easy it is to score runs at Kidderminster, which is a decent batting service with short boundaries. In the summer 647 runs were scored in just 3 20Twenty innings. The fact that Worcs. have only gained 15 batting points all season reflects the inability of the batsmen to score runs, particularly in the 1st innings. Hick, of course has been the only exception with 852 runs at 47.3. The next best is Moore who has scored 671 runs but if you consider that 143 was in one innings that leaves 528 runs in 18 innings (i.e. at less than 30).
I just thing we are better than Div 2 but are just not good enough for Div 1. Hopefully we will again achieve promotion next year. On Sunday we have a chance to win the PRO40. It is a shame Sky have decided to go to the Rose Bowl.
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