Worcestershire Head Coach Alan Richardson has given his reaction after the LV=Insurance County Championship encounter with Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.
Glamorgan won by ten wickets despite the efforts of Matthew Waite (45), Gareth Roderick (36) and Adam Hose (35) in Worcestershire’s second innings total of 227
The home side were set a 79 target and, despite Joe Leach conceding only five runs in his six overs, reached 82-0 from 20 overs.
Richardson said: “I think disappointing is a pretty accurate word to be fair, with the result, and no one likes losing a game, and with the performance.
“I think throughout the season we have put in elements of performances to give ourselves chances, whereas I felt with this game we have never given ourselves that opportunity.
“I think they bowled really well, and fair play to Glamorgan for doing that. They put us under quite a bit of pressure, but you would hope that we would absorb that, get through that and give ourselves a chance.
“It was a toss where, if we had won it, we would have had a bowl as well. I don’t think the wicket has changed drastically over the course of the game, although it was a bit beneficial to bowl first up on that first morning.
“They put us under a lot of pressure, and we didn’t handle it as well as we would have liked, and we have to learn from that.”
Richardson added: “The way we bowled in that first period before tea (on the first day) was really disappointing.
“When you are only defending just over 100 in that first innings, it is really important that you hit your straps, and we blatantly didn’t as a unit for that period.
“I thought Joe Leach bowled exceptionally well, but he didn’t get the support that he needed at the start.
“We dragged it back but always felt we were behind in the game, and fair play to Michael Neser. He played an invaluable knock when we had them six down and only just ahead of us.
“We can look at all facets of the game. The game judges you pretty well. If you don’t bat, bowl or field well enough, there is a chance you are going to lose a game of cricket, and we will be disappointed with that.
“All three facets we haven’t done well enough for long periods of time.”
Adam Finch picked up his first five-wicket haul in first class cricket in Glamorgan’s first innings.
Richardson said: “Pleased for Adam. He has put a lot of work in, he went away in the winter and has come back and bowled well in the Seconds.
“He bowled well in patches at Durham, so he has deserved his chance to play, and for the majority of that first innings he bowled beautifully and deserved his five wickets.”
Worcestershire return to Championship action against Leicestershire at New Road on Thursday.
Richardson said: “The beauty of county cricket is we’ve got a couple of days to dust ourselves down, probably reflect on the last couple of days and then move onto Thursday’s game.
“It is important we reflect on it, keep working hard to keep improving, but if we take the baggage from this game into Thursday again, we are making life hard for ourselves.”
Worcestershire resumed at 195-7 in their first innings, and Waite was bowled by Jamie McIlroy to the first ball he faced of the day.
Josh Tongue (5) slashed at a delivery from Timm van der Gugten and was caught at backward point.
Leach made a breezy 24, including a six over mid-wicket from a pickup off McIlroy, before he was bowled by James Harris to wrap up the innings.
