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Worcestershire County Cricket Club

2021 Season Review

Our long-awaited return to a full summer schedule of cricket wasn't always blessed with the weather we might have hoped for, though actual wash-outs were rare. Yet somewhere along the road of a campaign that began with cautious optimism, the wheels came off the Worcestershire wagon in all formats, and led to final placings with more than a whiff of mediocrity about them. When Joe Leach tendered his resignation as captain in September after five summers in the role, it was perhaps a measure of just how underwhelming the season had been.

The excuse that we're in a period of transition has hung around New Road since at least 2018, and if there's some truth to the claim, then it's hardly helped by the revolving door of personnel. In July, Riki Wessels was deemed surplus to Worcestershire requirements; Ross Whiteley followed him to the exit the following month after failing to agree terms, and reserve keeper Alex Milton was another to be given his marching orders. Daryl Mitchell's retirement had an air of inevitability to it, and no one would suggest that Mitch owes the county any more than he's given for the last sixteen years, but nevertheless, the timing makes this winter's rebuild bigger than ever. The Pears have already made a start by signing Matty Wade as overseas player in all formats, bringing in Ed Pollock from Warwickshire (presumably as a replacement for Wessels & Whiteley) and Ben Gibbon to provide a left-arm pace option to a rather samey bowling attack, but there's no disguising the weaknesses that still exist in the team.

Batsmen

The slow decline in run-scoring from Daryl Mitchell - who averaged 800 a season across his entire first-class career - continued unabated in 2021, as he clocked in with 470 at an average of just 21.36, down on 559 in his last full summer in 2019. His brief spell of form in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy will forever remain a tantalising glimpse of what he and Jake Libby could achieve together as an opening partnership when both men were on song; as it was, after one final century versus Warwickshire in July and a winning farewell against Leicestershire in September, the time had clearly come for him to step aside on a high. Mitch will leave a colossal gap at the top of the line-up, and finding a partner for Libby is a number one winter priority.

As for Jake Libby himself, as the second most prolific scorer in the country - weighing in with 1075 runs at 56.57, behind only Tom Haines of Sussex - the world seems his oyster right now. Comfortably the county's highest-scoring batsman in the Championship (with four centuries and four half-centuries to his name) and second-best in the T20 Blast with 315, there's very little criticism to be made of his play, and the only real frustration in watching him at work is the knowledge that at times he's practically carrying the whole team single-handed. Could his instant impact with the bat and near-legend status with fans translate into a captaincy? Or would adding to Jake's responsibilities only hinder his scintillating form at the crease?

Another summer of woe for Tom Fell, whose 324 runs were scored at 17.05, an even lower average than he managed in 2019. Everyone at New Road is desperate for Tom to succeed, but it felt like a minor mercy when he was finally dropped in September, as the number three role places a weight of expectation on him that's clearly doing him no good. That long-awaited "comeback" century at Wantage Road in 2020 showed that Tom still has it in him to succeed, but spending some time down the order may be necessary for a while.

Replacing Fell at number three was new man Gareth Roderick, who had his own troubles and strife during an opening month of games in which he scarcely made it out of single figures. Despite becoming a bit of a whipping boy for supporters, Roderick did rally somewhat in the autumn and ended with a total of 167 runs scored at 18.55, with a best of 42 not out. It would be a flagrant lie to say that this represents a successful signing, but Roderick's fighting spirit is to be applauded, and hopefully he can carry it over into 2022 for a better season all round.

Jack Haynes continued to impress in his development, making the number four slot his own during a summer when he weighed in with 491 runs at 35.07, including four half-centuries (two of which were near-misses on completing the full ton). Haynes also finished as the county's best batsman in the One-Day Cup, a competition which saw hiim score his maiden century, ending the tournament with 362 runs to his name. Seldom falling cheaply, Jack just needs to shake off the James Vince Syndrome of getting out for 30s and 50s, and work on occupying the crease to really make his name as a top-order batsman.

The departure of Riki Wessels proved controversial with supporters, as he was mysteriously dropped from the line-up for the last couple of T20 group games - which saw Worcs fail to make the quarter finals despite being in a strong position - before the final announcement was made. His Championship contribution was a numerically satisfying 202 at 20.20, while his comfortable 300 in the T20 Blast underlined his importance in the shortest format. The powers-that-be may feel that the incoming Ed Pollock delivers the same white-ball bang while also offering more promise and longevity in red-ball cricket, but one way or another, those are going to be big shoes to fill.

The future for Ross Whiteley may well be wowing crowds in the Hundred, but before leaving New Road he supplied 34 more Championship runs at 11.23, and 237 in the T20 Blast at 26.33. An unnecessary luxury for a cash-strapped county, or a club legend allowed to slip through our grasp too soon?

Wicketkeepers & All-rounders

It was something of an average season for Ben Cox with the bat, contributing 413 Championship runs at 21.73 with a high score of 60 not out, along with a couple of hundred in the T20 Blast this year. His keeping remains top quality though, and after some uncertainty regarding his contract, it was a relief for the county to get his signature on the line.

Not for the first time, Moeen Ali was something of a phantom presence ghosting in and out of New Road for a grand total of four T20 matches in the entire season. Providing 106 runs at 26.50 with one half-century, and 4 wickets at 21.00 with an economy rate of just 6.46, Mo was nevertheless a positive influence, and his leadership proved crucial in one of the highlights of the campaign; pegging Notts back to a near-impossible tie when it seemed like the game was lost.

Not for the first time, it was a mixed bag of a summer for Brett D'Oliveira, who contributed his largest first-class run-tally since 2017 with 480, but scored at a lower average than his last full season; only 25.26, down on 37. Having previously said that Dolly should focus on the red-ball game, I may have to eat my words, as his place in the white-ball side seems assured after staking his place as our best T20 batsmen with 358 runs, and coming only second in List A games with 267. Towards the end of the season it very much looked as though his function in Championship matches was increasingly to come in and hit a few dozen at a run a ball from the middle order; that's perhaps intended to go hand in hand with a defensive role as and when needed, but that side of his game is noticeably weaker than the happy-hitting carefree slogger persona. Springtime also saw Dolly given the longest run of his career as a frontline red-ball spinner, with fairly limited success; 15 wickets at 53.86 suggests that being a part-time leggy is Dolly's destiny in the Championship. But in the T20 Blast, though taking only 5 wickets, an almost superhuman economy rate of 5.90 made him the meanest of all players who bowled more than ten overs in the tournament, which is indicative of Dolly's real strength.

In striving to become a genuine all-rounder, it may have been a case of one step forward and two steps back for Ed Barnard, who enjoyed comfortably the best season of his career so far with the bat, but at a cost in his returns with the ball in hand. With 746 Championship runs at 49.73 including two centuries, Ed was second only to Jake Libby in the run-scoring stakes, but where previous summers have seen him consistently take forty-something wickets at a very competitive average, his efforts in 2021 yielded only 25 at an eye-watering 42.08. Things were slightly better in the One-Day Cup, in which 9 wickets at 29.44 made him the county's best bowler, but I sense a decision may have to be made soon on whether Ed's ambitions lie more with bat or ball.

Bowlers

Joe Leach maintained his high standards as a lower-order batsman, scoring 377 Championship runs with a high score of 84, and though he certainly led from the front and ended up as the county's top wicket-taker, that he achieved that distinction with a total of 38 wickets at 30.02 tells its own sorry tale of a frequently toothless attack. In his post-captaincy career he'll doubtless remain a vital man with the new ball; we can only hope that with the burden of leadership lifted from his shoulders, there'll be an uptick in form to match.

Injuries continued to be the bane of a frustrating career for Josh Tongue, whose season lasted for 116 overs and yielded 14 wickets at a team-best average of 25.57. On both an individual and a team level, Josh really needs that season in which he can get a run of games together and bounce back to his best.

Adam Finch continued his development in his occasional cameos, his 8-wicket season haul in the Championship slightly down on 2019, but his average of 31.25 vastly improved. Plenty of promise and cause for optimism.

Dillon Pennington has also come a long way since the last pre-COVID summer of cricket, and 29 wickets at 30.96 represents an improvement for the young man. His Achilles heel has tended to be a wandering radar early in his spells, with plenty of bad balls dispatched to the boundary before he finds his line and length; with that under control, there's no reason why Pennington shouldn't go from strength to strength. In the white-ball game, Dillon also finished the Blast as the county's third best wicket-taker with 13 at 20.00, and a competitive economy rate of 8.38.

Having enjoyed a superlative 2019 and decent 2020, Charlie Morris didn't quite have things go his way this summer, with just 19 scalps at 32.68, nearly a third of them coming in his six-wicket haul against Middlesex in September. But he was the county's best wicket-taker in the T20 Blast with 17 at 23.41, an achievement marred only by a tendency to get walloped around the park when used as a death bowler; and coupled with a maiden first-class fifty and a century for the seconds, Charlie continues to evolve into a more-than-handy tail-ender.

Josh Baker was one of the summer's refreshing discoveries, the left-armer emerging as a replacement for the departed Ben Twohig and carving himself a place in the starting XI during the second half of the season. Finishing with 12 wickets at 34.00, together with an unbeaten half-century that advertised his batting skills, there's a fair chance that the problem of spin - for so long the weak point in Worcestershire bowling attacks - may now be solved.

Overseas Players

Alzarri Joseph came highly recommended, but alas, the West Indian quick struggled from the off in English conditions, frequently failing to get his length right and supplying only 15 wickets at 38.26; a contribution far short of what's required from an overseas bowler.

Ish Sodhi was much more on the mark, claiming a six-wicket haul at 24.66 in his sole Championship appearance, and 11 at 32.81 in the T20 Blast. Though occasionally on the receiving end of some tap, his economy of 7.68 highlighted his ability to strangle the run-rate in the middle overs; always a key factor in Worcestershire's wins.

As for Ben Dwarshuis, the Aussie came from the Big Bash with a big reputation, and at first it seemed he might flop as batsmen targeted him for all kinds of humpty in the powerplay and death overs. But 15 wickets at 27.93 - the second-best record behind Morris - redeemed the Antipodean somewhat, though perhaps not quite enough to be invited back next year.


Highlights of the year? Jake Libby's near-record knock down at Chelmsford and Ed Barnard's maiden first-class century were an early joy to watch. An innings victory over Derbyshire was well deserved, and all the sweeter for the wait. We held Notts to an unlikely tie and demolished Northants days later, before our T20 mojo gradually left us. We marmalised Essex in similar fashion before our one-day mojo likewise deserted the building. And of course, we gave Daryl Mitchell's career as close to a fairytale finish as reality would ever allow, closing one chapter in the hope of opening a better one next year.

And so until 2022, it's a fond farewell to New Road.