Worcestershire keeper-batter Gareth Roderick was delighted to seize his opportunity to return to the Rapids side for the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a brilliant century against Gloucestershire at New Road.
Roderick had been absent with a virus from the opening three 50 over games after bravely battling through the entire final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira’s dislocated shoulder meant he was recalled on Thursday against his former county and he responded with a List A best score of 137 in a Rapids total of 375-7.
It was a superb effort which showed all facets of Roderick’s game, battling through the new ball, building partnerships with Rob Jones and Jake Libby and then delivering a brutal onslaught.
Roderick said: “To not start in the team and come in late when Dolly unfortunately got injured…..just to get a game and get a score was really good.
“Dolly has been such a massive part of white ball cricket here for so long and to be drafted in, or told the day before, I was really thankful to have a game rather than run the drinks on.
“To get a score, which ends us helping the team win a game of cricket, always makes it that much better.
“The illness, thankfully that’s all done now and hopefully I can stay healthy for the rest of the tournament.”
Roderick had to fight hard along with Jones and Libby to defy the Gloucestershire bowlers and then build a platform for a late assault.
He said: “I didn’t think after the first five overs, when we were 12-1, that we were quite going to get 375, but once that new ball had got a little bit older, the pitch seemed to flatten out a bit and it was quite nice to bat on.
“There wasn’t much swing but there was some lateral movement off the wicket and we have noticed that a little bit as a trend throughout the whole competition no matter where you play.
“It feels a little bit more old school 50 over cricket, where you have to leave wickets in the shed, start quite cautiously and take your time.
“When Jake and I first got together and batted for three or four overs, we thought maybe 250-260 would be a good score with how the wicket was playing.
“Everytime we checked in every five overs, that score just seemed to be creeping up.
“It kind of evolved to the point where we thought we’ve got to get over 300 on this wicket because it is playing quite nicely now and we had to put our foot down a little bit.
“The boys did really well. Jake (Libby) and I had a nice partnership and took it deep and left wickets in the hutch and then the guys could have a go at the back end and got us up to 375.
“It was quite nice to watch a lot of people contributing and Logan (van Beek) on debut a really big 40 to get us up to that target.
“With the ball, we knew one of their players was going to have to bat really well and someone would have to go like Libbs and myself and put up a really big partnership.
“Apart from Jack (Taylor) at the end, they didn’t really have a partnership that hurt us and the bowlers saw out the game quite well on a pitch that was playing really, really well.”
Roderick was impressed with the debut of van Beek who hit 41 not out from 19 balls and then picked up four wickets as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 290.
He said: “Logan brings a lot of experience, international experience, playing against some of the best players in the world, in T20 leagues around the world.
“His knowledge on playing white ball cricket in particular in this competition….it’s really great for the lads to have another experienced guy like that in the dressing room that they can learn off, feed off, chat to and strategise with.
“One game in, but he has showed his value already with four wickets and 41 off 19 balls. I think he is going to be a big player for us and he started really well.”
Roderick relished the atmosphere in front of a 4,000 plus crowd to follow on from the 3,500 who witnessed the success over Glamorgan.
He said: “It’s always special to play here and the support for 50 over cricket has been really, really good.
“It shows it’s not all about the crash, bang wallop of T20 and The Hundred. The 50 over is bringing the crowds in and there was a great atmosphere today.”
