Joe Leach says having early exposure to first team cricket with Worcestershire Rapids during the past month can “only accelerate the development” of youngsters such as Harry Darley and Jack Home.
All-rounder Leach, who operated as a part-time coach for the Metro Bank One Day Cup, says the pace duo experienced a great learning curve with each and every game at senior level.
Darley, who signed a rookie contract in February, played four games in the Vitality Blast before making his One Day Cup debut against Middlesex and he played in seven group matches, picking up six wickets.
Home made his first appearance in the final Vitality Blast encounter with Derbyshire Falcons and also made his One Day Cup breakthrough against Middlesex.
The Academy product was carefully rotated by Head Coach Alan Richardson and five group matches produced a haul of 16 wickets, including 6-51 versus Derbyshire.
Leach, back to bowling after having an injection in his troublesome knee, said: “It has been a great learning curve for Harry and Jack at this stage of their career.
“The most important thing for them, and our expectations for them, is all we can ask is they take every experience they got from this competition and learn from it.
“To have exposure at first team level does accelerate development.
“I’m sure as they develop they are going to have a couple of tough days as well and a couple of really good ones.
“It is just about learning from that and taking it, moving forward and getting better.”
Leach believes Darley and Home and any youngsters have been reaping the benefits of the Worcestershire dressing room during the past month.
He said: “It’s always been a great environment for people to come in and play.
“You look at the way the guys have come in, may only have been here a few days, a couple of weeks, but they’ve been able to take to it.
“They are very well supported and that’s no different with any of the younger guys who come in and play.
“Rightly so, at times they are going to need to be supported as they have been in this competition and through their development. That’s up to us as senior players and coaches.”
