Kadeer Ali praised an “outstanding performance” by Worcestershire Seconds and says the Academy players in the squad are now adapting to Second Eleven cricket.
Worcestershire launched their Second Eleven Championship campaign with an innings and 69 runs victory over Gloucestershire at Kidderminster.
Several of the current Academy intake are being given their opportunity to make the step up, and one of them, Reeve Evitts, picked up seven wickets in the game.
Seconds Coach Kadeer said: “It was an outstanding performance, three excellent days.
“We could have got a few more runs in the first innings, with three lads getting in and getting out, and we would have liked someone to have gone on and got a hundred.
“But, overall, it was still a decent total, and, the last two days, we were outstanding. Our lengths were very good; we asked good questions, got their lads on the front foot, and caused many problems.
“To bowl them out cheaply twice at Kidderminster was a really good effort.
“It goes back to the lengths we bowled, hitting the top of off stump consistently, and it wasn’t one or two of them; it was the whole bowling unit.
“All five seamers bowled nicely, backed each other up, bowled in partnerships, and got the rewards.
“We had a lot of people bowled or lbw, which shows how accurately they were bowling. That is always a good sign.”
On Evitts performance, Kadeer said: “He was outstanding in this game. At Stratford (against South Asian Cricket Academy), he was a little bit short in his length.
“But he has made a massive improvement and showed a lot of character in this game to come back and bowl the way he did.
“He has got some potential with the bat as well. He got 30 odd in the first innings and played nicely.
“All these guys who have come into the team from the Academy are starting to settle into the second team environment now.
“They had a bit of a taste of it last summer, and their potential is starting to come through now, which is encouraging.”
Kadeer was also pleased with newcomers Taylor Cornall, who captained the side and left-arm pace bowler Ben Gibbon.
He said: “Taylor captained at Stratford and was impressive, and he has fitted in well, and the lads have taken to him. He has led the side really well.
“Ben Gibbon has bowled nicely again in this game and has got a bit of rhythm to his bowling.”
Worcestershire now have a break from action before they face Leeds-Bradford UCCE in a three day friendly, also at Kidderminster, starting on April 26.
Kadeer said: “It allows some of our lads to get back into the nets and work on a few things. It is a good opportunity to train.
“We don’t get many of those chances during the summer when it gets quite busy, so they will be looking forward to a week’s training before we start again with three weeks of cricket on the bounce.”
