Worcestershire Assistant Coach Richard Jones was full of praise for the way the Seconds made a successful transition from white ball to Championship cricket during their innings victory over Gloucestershire at Stourport.
After back to back wins to end their T20 programme, the Seconds dominated from start to finish and won with almost a day to spare after taking the final two Gloucestershire wickets early on the fourth day.
Australian triallist Ethan Carrington picked up 10 wickets in the game and there were centuries for skipper Gareth Roderick, and rookie professionals Rehaan Edavalath and Olly Cox.
Jones said: “It was a very dominant performance from ball one really. If we had lost the toss, we would probably have had a bat, and to bowl them out as cheaply as we did, the boys did really well.
“We asked for that shift of mindset from white ball back into red ball, we spoke about that at the start of the game, and the boys nailed it.
“It is a combination of a mindset shift and a skill set shift. We had our recipe for the way we want to go about our four day cricket and we spoke about that at the start of day one and the lads nailed it.
“We bowled the ball in good areas, the fourth stump channel area, for long periods, were patient, caught brilliantly and our ground fielding was excellent which is probably an improvement from the first part of the year.
“To play the way we did, get the amount of runs we did, and to bowl them out again was a very dominant performance.”
Carrington, who has a British passport, plays first grade cricket in Perth and this summer for Solihull-Blossomfield in the Warwickshire County League.
Jones said: “He bowled really well. It is someone we were aware of from his performances in grade cricket in Perth this year. Richo (Alan Richardson) keeps his eye on that sort of stuff, found out he has a British passport and was over playing in Birmingham.
“He’s performed nicely there and, obviously having a British passport, makes him more attractive.
“I know his captain (Chris Kelly) at Solihull-Blossomfield, I used to work with him on the coaching side at Warwickshire, I spoke to him about Ethan and it was a bit of a glowing report and he said we should have a look at him.
“He has done well for them this year and so for him to come in and bowl as well as he did, and also take the wickets he did, was very pleasing for him and it’s someone we are going to try and give more opportunities to as the season goes on.
“Everyone bowled well. Adam Sylvester bowled brilliantly and didn’t get the rewards he deserved.“
Jones was pleased with the way Worcestershire built a sizeable first innings total to take the game out of Gloucestershire’s reach.
He said: “Rodders (Gareth Roderick) and Rehaan Edavalath’s partnership at the start of our innings broke the back of the game really because, after their low first innings score, if you lose two or three early wickets it makes things a bit nervous.
“But, with that 160 stand, we saw the Gloucestershire team get a bit deflated as the day went on in tough conditions, hot with the pitch getting flatter.
“Rodders carried on his brilliant form and then Rehaan played the way he does, skilful in defence, played straight, looked to capitalise on anything that was loose, ran really hard and spent time at the crease which is his blueprint for the way he goes about it.
“I spoke about Olly Cox in the dressing room at the end. He is a young man, a first year rookie, and he has probably struggled up until this point.
“He is someone we know has got undoubted ability with the positive way he plays and, up until this week, he will probably tell you he has not been able to play that way for a few reasons.
“For him to go out and play the way he did, with the freedom he did, was really, really pleasing and I’m delighted for him and hopefully he kicks on now.”
