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Vitality County Championship Preview: Worcestershire v Somerset
THE MATCH
Somerset travel to Kidderminster this week to take on Worcestershire in the Vitality County Championship First Division.
Day one of this fixture is due to get underway tomorrow (Friday April 26th).
SCHEDULED HOURS OF PLAY:
Morning session: 11am to 1pm
Afternoon session: 1:40pm to 3:40pm
Evening session: 4pm to 6pm
Somerset currently sit in third place in the Vitality County Championship Division One Table with 41 points from our three fixtures.
Worcestershire are seventh in the table with 30 points form their opening three matches.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE?
You can keep up to date using the dedicated Match Centre on this website which will feature a live stream of the action courtesy of Worcestershire CCC.
In-play updates will also appear on our X feed (formerly Twitter).
Don’t forget that we have introduced the Trade Nation Win Predictor on our Match Centre in 2024.
The predictor, which is powered by CricViz and commonly used across the game as ‘WinViz’, is utilised by broadcasters around the world to help viewers get an accurate impression of which team is winning at any given moment.
In addition to this, a report on the day’s play along with quotes will be posted on this website.
THE OPPOSITION – WORCESTERSHIRE
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Head Coach: Alan Richardson
2023 finish: Second (Division Two)
2023 highest run-scorer: Jake Libby (1153)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Joe Leach (48)
What can we expect?: Captain Brett D’Oliveira put the accent on playing positive cricket last summer, not being afraid to lose in a bid to force a win, and he has indicated there will be a similar approach in 2024 although recognising the difference in quality of the opposition. Can Worcestershire finally establish themselves as a top division county after years of see-sawing in between the two divisions. It is a massive challenge particularly after losing established players Dillon Pennington, Jack Haynes and Josh Tongue to Nottinghamshire but a tightly-knit squad will help them through what are bound to be some challenging days.
Key winter moves: Rob Jones will strengthen the top order batting after his move from Lancashire on a three-year contract. All-rounder Tom Taylor from Northamptonshire will primarily add depth to the bowling department after penning a four-year move. New Zealand all-rounder Nathan Smith, leading wicket-tasker in the Plunket Shield, is available all summer for all formats.
One to watch: Kashif Ali played several destructive innings last summer, most notably his 88 off 36 balls in a Metro Bank One-Day Cup match against Derbyshire, and the signing from the South Asian Cricket Academy is capable of more similar heroics in 2024.
Final thought: Asley Giles has brought a positivity to the club in his role as CEO and quickly earned the support and respect of players, coaches and members alike despite his long-standing Warwickshire connections. He is aware of the demanding task ahead in trying to finish above the bottom two but there is a belief that Worcestershire can at least compete in Division One.
TEAM NEWS
Craig Overton is rested for this fixture and Somerset are still without Jack Leach and Tom Abell through injury. Kasey Aldridge returns to the squad and there is a call up for Andy Umeed.
Somerset have named the following squad for the fixture: Lewis Gregory, Sean Dickson, Matt Renshaw, Tom Lammonby, Tom Banton, Andy Umeed, James Rew, Lewis Goldsworthy, Migael Pretorius, Josh Davey, Kasey Aldridge, Jake Ball and Shoaib Bashir.
VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
Ahead of the match, Somerset Head Coach, Jason Kerr said: “We’re in a good place at the moment and playing some really good cricket. The spirit in the camp is immense at the moment and we’ll be pushing for that first win. If we keep playing the cricket that we’re playing then that win will come sooner rather than later.
“I couldn’t fault the guys against Notts and if we take that attitude and skill level into every performance this year then we will do well.
“Worcestershire have recruited well and have really good overseas players. The surface could also play a part this week because we’re at an outground.
“Craig is rested for this game because he’s coming off back surgery. He’s played two really tough games in succession and it’s important that we look after him, certainly in the long term. I expect him to be available for our next match against Essex.”
DID YOU KNOW…?
Lewis Gregory needs 35 runs to reach the 4000-mark in First Class Cricket.
Tom Lammonby is 49 shy of 2500 runs in First Class cricket.
If Matt Renshaw scores 26 runs against Worcestershire he will reach 7000 career First Class runs.
CLASSIC MATCH
Rather than looking back on one specific match, we thought we would take a look back at the First Class matches between the two sides that have been held at Kidderminster.
Between 1923 and 1965 Somerset and Worcestershire faced each other on eight occasions at the venue. Somerset have won three of the meetings, Worcestershire have won twice, there have been two draws and one tied game.
The highest team total for Somerset at Kidderminster is 401 in 1936, whilst Worcestershire’s best is 453 in 1954.
The most runs scored at the venue by a Somerset batter is 182 by Norman ‘Mandy’ Mitchell-Innes in 1936. The hosts top scorer is Peter Richardson, who made 185 in 1954.
The most wickets taken in an innings by a Somerset bowler occurred in 1939 when Arthur Wellard claimed seven for 45. For Worcestershire it is seven for 29 by Jack Flavell in 1965.
WPA PREDICTIONS LEAGUE
The 2024 season is now upon us and that means another summer of elite cricket at the Cooper Associates County Ground, the sound of leather on willow and the return of the WPA Predictions League.
Powered by WPA Health Insurance, the game allows you to test your cricket knowledge against your friends and colleagues by scoring points during every Somerset match.
Your correct predictions will transfer into points, and you will be able to monitor your progress on the leaderboard.
The person with the most points at the end of the season in each competition will win a prize!
All you have to do is predict, watch and win!
Good luck!
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
If you are planning to attend the match, all the information you need can be found on the official Worcestershire CCC Website.
NEXT MATCH
Our Next Vitality County Championship match is at the Cooper Associates County Ground when we take on Essex.
The match gets underway on Friday May 3rd.
Tickets for the game are still available!
