Head Bowling Coach-Assistant Coach Alan Richardson believes the way Worcestershire Rapids players handled the pressure of Vitality Blast finals day was crucial and said: “they won’t be fazed by anything again.”
Richardson and Second Eleven Coach-Assistant Coach Alex Gidman have been given key roles by Head Coach Kevin Sharp in working with the County’s white ball teams since rejoining the club last winter as part of a flexible coaching set-up.
It came to fruition yesterday at Edgbaston with the Rapids defeating Sussex Sharks in the final after previously overcoming Lancashire Lightning in the semi-final.
Richardson said: “I feel very lucky to be back involved with the club. I was really fortunate that I got to end my career there as a player and to get the opportunity to come back and coach has been fantastic.
“The boys have embraced everything that has been asked of them. They’ve worked incredibly hard, they’ve worked with real intelligence.
“You are always going to need a little bit of luck to do well in these tournaments and win them – but I think we’ve deserved that.
“It makes me incredibly proud – both myself and Alex and all the coaching staff – that they have a day-night like this because the club have never had it before in T20 cricket.
“If you look over the last two or three years, Worcestershire have had a very competitive and very skilful white ball side and haven’t quite got over the line.
“Myself and Alex have probably benefitted from that and all the hard work that was put in during the years before and these guys are maturing nicely.
“It has been great. I guess we are reasonably current and know some stuff in and around the game and what is expected – but the boys have led it brilliantly.
“This season we’ve had quite a few big games, a couple here and a couple at New Road, and other places where the boys before have not quite got over that line – and this year they have.
“These guys won’t be fazed about anything else again. This is a big occasion, with a lot of pressure, but they handled it brilliantly well.”
