26-04-2018, 18:43
The first home fixture of the season has been given the green light after tireless work to drain and clean up the flooded New Road pitch, and so on Friday, Worcestershire welcome Nottinghamshire to town.
Fellow returnees to Division One, Notts have made a slightly better start to 2018 than the Pears, though their opening win against Lancs was followed by defeat against Yorkshire last weekend. Though it's been a tricky winter for the East Midlanders with Chris Read and Michael Lumb retiring, Alex Hales dedicating himself to the white-ball game and Paul Coughlin suffering an injury that puts him out of contention, Notts have the strength in depth to cope, and both Ball and Gurney have been devastating for them in the last fortnight.
For Worcestershire, points are the order of the day. We need at least a draw to get the wheels turning, but preferably a win. We can dream of a team of Ed Barnards, but until we get the cloning machine up and running, a few Pears players simply need to take a leaf out of the young all-rounder's book.
We're forecast torrential rain on Friday, and there's a strong possibility of no play. The rest of the weekend is, to say the least, likely to be as unpredictable on earth as it is in the heavens.
Fellow returnees to Division One, Notts have made a slightly better start to 2018 than the Pears, though their opening win against Lancs was followed by defeat against Yorkshire last weekend. Though it's been a tricky winter for the East Midlanders with Chris Read and Michael Lumb retiring, Alex Hales dedicating himself to the white-ball game and Paul Coughlin suffering an injury that puts him out of contention, Notts have the strength in depth to cope, and both Ball and Gurney have been devastating for them in the last fortnight.
For Worcestershire, points are the order of the day. We need at least a draw to get the wheels turning, but preferably a win. We can dream of a team of Ed Barnards, but until we get the cloning machine up and running, a few Pears players simply need to take a leaf out of the young all-rounder's book.
We're forecast torrential rain on Friday, and there's a strong possibility of no play. The rest of the weekend is, to say the least, likely to be as unpredictable on earth as it is in the heavens.
"I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to choose between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I should make straight for West Bromwich." - J.B. Priestley