Head Coach Alan Richardson has pinpointed Worcestershire’s win over Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside as pivotal in giving them the belief and confidence that they could secure Vitality County Championship Division One cricket for another season.
Worcestershire were bowled out for 112, conceding a first innings lead of 78, but fought back to win by six wickets to earn a first win of the season.
It was the first of a trio of successive victories, including another notable success over Essex at Chelmsford, as Worcestershire went onto finish sixth – their highest position since the two division system was introduced in 2000.
Richardson said: “I think Chelmsford stands out but the Durham win away from home, I don’t think that was probably on our radar, anyone’s radar. That was the strongest side that Durham put out in terms of individuals this year.
“Playing at their place, they’ve got a really good record there. It was an interesting wicket, one I wasn’t particularly overly impressed with at the start!
“But you get through that and I just thought the resolve we showed against a very good side, and one we haven’t done particularly well against in recent history, was fantastic.
“That gave us a little bit of belief, a little bit of momentum during that period. It was our first win, it was important to get that first win.
“I think we played some really good cricket up until then but hadn’t got over the line.
“To win at their place, I think that kick-started our season in terms of having the belief to be able to do it. That was a big one for me.
“I know the Essex game was fantastic, and the skill we showed in that game was unbelievable, but I think the Durham one for me is the one that stands out.”
Richardson knows that Worcestershire have to keep striving to improve on this summer’s performances when the 2025 season comes around.
He said: “Areas to build on and improve for next season? All the areas really. We highlight a lot of the stuff we do well and we have to make sure we are right on top of that.
“We have to make sure we do those better next year. I don’t believe it is a linear line in how we will go throughout this but for this group certainly, and the teams that come underneath it, it will be an evolution throughout that.
“We need to make sure we are forever trying to get better and I think we’ve done that in abundance.
“The way we play spin has improved massively over the past couple of years. We need to continue to do that.
“I guess the group of players now, compared to looking back two years ago, is hugely different so we have to make sure as a group we stay as tight as we ever have been, if not more so, and how we do that as a group will be really important.”
