Kevin Sharp says Worcestershire’s players will learn the lessons of the opening game against Hampshire as they gear up for the Specsavers County Championship clash with Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.
Head Coach Sharp has named the same 13 strong squad – the 11 players who played in the 196 run defeat at the Ageas Bowl plus spinner Ben Twohig and paceman Charlie Morris.
He says the squad will take on board the experiences gained from various times in the game against Hampshire for the trip to the West Country.
Sharp said: “Obviously it is disappointing to lose, it’s never a nice feeling, and it’s not what you want to do but I will say the lads prepared brilliantly every morning and they were well prepared to play even in the light of the fact we haven’t had much cricket this last three weeks.
“We competed for a lot of the game, were a bit below par for some of the game and showed some resilience at times when it looked as though we may get played out of the game. We kept bouncing back and that was a really pleasing thing.
“We were right in the game up to the last morning where unfortunately we lost four or five wickets very quickly and the game was over quite quickly and that’s what can happen.
“That’s the game, the pitch itself got quicker as the game went on and it seamed throughout the game so there was always a wicket-taking delivery in it.
“You can see that by the scores. No-one had a massive score. It was hard work for the batters all the way through the game.
“It just nipped a bit quicker as the pitch dried out a bit and that potentially made it a little bit easier for scoring but also brought the outside edge into play.”
Sharp added: “There were a couple of things in the game that we will really learn from. There was one point in the game where we got back in it from a batting perspective.
“We made 200-7 (in reply to 290) and it looked as though we might nearly get up to their score. But they set the short ball trap and we fell into it a little bit which was a little naïve from our perspective.
“But the lads know that and when that happens again they will have had the experience of knowing how to deal with it in a way that doesn’t cost us two or three wickets very quickly at the end of the innings.”
As regards the Somerset fixture, Sharp said: “They are all challenges. There are some good teams and the lads are really up for the competition that is coming.
“We also know they will be a good side and we also know if we play to the best of our ability, we’ve every chance of winning.
“It is exciting. We’ve had one game now which didn’t particularly go to plan but we start again on Friday and that’s the beauty of it.”
WORCESTERSHIRE
Mitchell
D’Oliveira
Fell
Clarke
Head
Rhodes
Cox
Barnard
Leach
Magoffin
Tongue
Twohig
Morris
