Ethan Brookes is determined to build on the success he enjoyed with Worcestershire in his first season at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
The all-rounder, who made the switch from local rivals Warwickshire, made a big impression in Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One Day Cup cricket.
The season also ended on a high in the County Championship with Brookes scoring his maiden first class century against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl.
Here the 23-year-old reflects on his first campaign with Worcestershire, the areas he is looking to improve this winter and his targets and aspirations for the season ahead in a Question and Answer session with the Worcestershire CCC website.
Question: You must reflect on the 2024 season and be delighted with how it went for yourself?
Ethan Brookes: “Absolutely. Just coming here, knowing so much about this club and seeing how good the people were, put me right at ease and then to be given the opportunity to play in the T20s and have a good run in the 50 over competition, and then making my debut Championship here against Surrey, and then continuing in the side, was amazing.
“It was a really good season. Obviously lots of ups and lots of downs, a difficult season, but one I will look back fondly on in my career.”
Question: Did you expect to play as much cricket at the beginning of the season?
Ethan Brookes: “No, not really. The Seconds had a lot of early games washed out or cancelled so I felt like I didn’t play a lot of cricket at the start of the year but, if you rewind to the first month of the season, I felt I was ready to play after a good season in Australia.
“Selection didn’t go my way but that’s fine, that’s the way it goes, and I knew there was going to be an opportunity at some point. The coaches communicated that, and I knew there was always going to be a chance to play.
“It was not putting so much pressure on when I’m playing that I’ve got to do well to cement my place and everyone has been brilliant here. The whole environment makes you feel at ease and comfortable.
“I just knew there was going to be an opportunity, and there was, and thankfully I’ve gone quite well so far.”
Question: Does not having that pressure really help you as a player?
Ethan Brookes: “I think so. Everyone backs you here. It’s a nice place to be, a nice environment, brilliant culture, everything is so good here, and that just makes you feel at ease as a player.”
Question: “Given the injuries, it was a superb effort by the team in the One Day Cup and County Championship?
Ethan Brookes: “It was quite phenomenal. A disjointed squad because of the injuries but, again, it gave players opportunities who might not have played before.
“To do as well as we did in the 50 over competition was brilliant but we can take so much confidence now knowing that, if we do have a stronger side, how far we can get and potentially going for the trophy.
“Like in all formats, we’ve got a very good squad. Obviously it didn’t go our way in the T20. We lost out on some close games but if you take the first couple of games out of the equation, we were right in the mix when we played some good cricket.
“We’ve got good destructive players, we’ve almost got all facets covered, and the team and the squad is brilliant.”
Question: You made your breakthrough in T20 and ended up leading run-scorer and important role to play with the ball?
Ethan Brookes: “I wasn’t expecting to play. I was in Yorkshire the night before the opening game and Dolly pulled me for a chat and I was expecting him to say you’ve missed out on this game.
“He told me I was playing so I was absolutely chuffed with that and then to go in the situation we were in during that game wasn’t ideal but the communication from the experienced and established players was go out and express yourselves, there are no repercussions if you fail or don’t do well.
“That puts you in a mindset where you are almost fearless as a cricketer and I feel that has helped me throughout this year, just playing my best cricket and not worry about performances, just try and have an impact and show what I can do.
“I think I was really clear on what my strengths are in the T20 so I went to my sweeps against the spin straight away which I practice a lot.
“It is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it can off, sometimes it won’t but I think the message from the guys is if you always take that positive option then you are more likely to succeed than not and that has just been the case this year which has been nice to have.”
Question: Your bowling came to fore in T20, including bowling at death?
Ethan Brookes: “I definitely need to improve my death bowling. I was more expensive at the death. It is something I’m not as comfortable with but, if I can put that into my game, it will only help me in the long run.
“But going back to my T20 bowling, because I was hiding the ball and bowling change-ups most deliveries, it is something I’ve never done before. That was just after a conversation with Richard Jones.
“I’ve always flirted with the idea of changing that in T20 cricket. You look at Ravi Bopara and Benny Howell who have had so much success doing that.
“I’m never going to get someone out with my pace, it’s about almost deceiving someone. We had a practice session before the first game and I tried it and it worked really well. I asked the players if the ball is doing this, can you pick up on anything and they said it was really difficult so I took that into the first game and it worked well so I’ll definitely continue working on that white ball bowling.”
Question: You also had a successful time bowling in the One Day Cup in the middle overs and ended as Worcestershire’s most economical bowler?
Ethan Brookes: “It’s the beauty of being an all-rounder because ideally I would have liked to have scored way more runs than I did.
“I thought I had a disappointing time with the bat but I bowled really economically, took a few wickets, helped the team tie down an end almost.
“It was nice to play that part with the ball but looking back I would have liked to have scored more runs.”
Question: Did it help that the pace bowlers got early wickets?
Ethan Brookes: “There were plenty of games where we took two or three early wickets so the pressure was off then and that’s why my figures were as they were.
“All the bowlers in that competition did their part. Young Jack Home showed what he can do. In that competition, when he had the ball everything he did turned to gold.
“It is so brilliant to see people get opportunities. Even the lads we had on loan, they did really well and helped out. Tom Hinley took a five-for and bowled really well most games, Fateh Singh did well.
“We did really well considering all the injuries we had to reach the quarter-finals and we could have won that apart from a freak innings. If someone bats that well they are obviously going to win that game and I’ve played a bit of cricket with Kai Smith who is obviously very talented.”
Question: The season rolled on for you, you stayed in side for the County Championship and scored your maiden century against Hampshire?
Ethan Brookes: “I thought I would be waiting a long time to get that. In that game, going in knowing we were still in a relegation battle and needed points, and how Rodders communicated when I went out to the crease was the best information I’ve ever had.
“He just said we could get bowled out here for 110 and, if we don’t get a partnership together, that most likely would be the case. We still had batters to come but it was a tricky wicket and very experienced bowlers.
“That information he said to me almost made me a little bit fearless because I would never have dreamt of sweeping my second ball against Liam Dawson for four.
“But after hearing that from Rodders, that was just my intent to almost be a bit like T20, just keep sweeping balls and try and take as many runs as we could and then the partnership slowly started building and you get to 40, get to 50 and think ‘this could be on here.’
“I kept to that game plan and it played out to me scoring a hundred which was an amazing feeling.”
Question: It must have been good to have Gareth Roderick at the other end?
Ethan Brookes; “How he communicates is something as a young batter is amazing. He actually bought me a beer that night, which I don’t think he usually does!”
Question: This winter, are there any specific areas you are working on?
Ethan Brookes: “Quite a few, my red ball batting, just keep working on my technique. I want to be a top order batter in my career.
“It’s nice batting at seven but ideally I want to be batting in the top order so, if I can make sure my technique is in the right place for that, it will only help.
“Obviously train against quick bowling. That’s what you are going to get next year in Division One, be comfortable with that, be comfortable with my technique.
“With white ball cricket, still work on my strengths. I feel now that teams are going to go slightly different at me so it’s almost planning ahead for next year and making sure I’m ready for whatever teams throw at me.
“With my bowling, keep working on my white ball skills, like my death bowling, and then my red ball is my big focus.
“I know I’ve bowled quite well so far but I would like to get a little bit more consistent and if I can put on a little bit of pace, not loads, but just something that gets a tad more out of the wicket will be my real focus.”
