[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division One

vs Kent

St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

Day One

Morning: The Pears won the toss and elected to bat on what could justifiably be called the first Friday morning of summer. First-class encounters with Kent are somewhat rare for Worcestershire these days - Bob Willis Trophy aside, this is the first true Championship meeting since 2017, and the first in Division One since 2007 - but naturally, the occasion was overshadowed by the tragic and untimely death last week of 20-year-old Josh Baker, whose loss was appropriately mourned before the match. The county wisely and considerately selected their matchday squad on a purely opt-in basis, assuring any player who needed more time before returning to the field that they were welcome to take it, but to a man, every single Pear stepped forward to make themselves available and honour young Josh's memory, so we were treated to a typically bright first half-hour from Gareth Roderick, and Jake Libby until the latter departed LBW to Wes Agar for 19. That was, however, the only wicket to fall in the session as Worcestershire reached lunch on an excellent 94-1.

Afternoon: A 136-run partnership in splendid May sunshine saw Rodders and Kashif Ali complete fifties before the latter went for 72 to the spin of Matt Parkinson, who then had Brett D'Oliveira caught for 18. Nevertheless, it was again Worcestershire's session as tea was taken on 210-3.

Evening: A second consecutive century was the deserved reward for Rodders as he deftly swept the Kent spinners on both sides of the wicket to complement his typically elegant straight drives; eventually bowled for 117, and succeeded by a brief cameo from Joe Leach who went LBW for 1 to Joey Evison, it fell to Adam Hose to shore things up for the Pears, and the ex-Bear completed his first half-century of the campaign in time for close on 308-5. Entirely Worcestershire's day, and we now need the patience and staying power to bat on well into Saturday, lest we squander a highly promising position on a good pitch trying to score quick runs.