Head Coach Alex Gidman says the recruitment of Taylor Cornall and Ed Pollock is benefitting the Worcestershire bowling unit in addition to providing more variety to the batting options.
Cornall and Pollock are both top order left-handers of which Worcestershire have been lacking players in recent years.
Vitality Blast captain, Moeen Ali, was the only remaining front-line left-handed batter on the staff until the duo signed at the end of last summer.
Gidman says it will give opposing bowlers more to think about instead of settling into a steady rhythm against a stream of right-handers.
But, in addition, it has also given the Worcestershire bowlers a helping hand in being to learn to bowl more effectively at left-handers now they can practice against Cornall and Pollock.
Gidman said: “To be honest, it has been a weakness of ours, not to have enough left-handers, and we’d only got one in Mo for white-ball cricket with Ross Leaving.’’
“It does make a big difference because a lot of the time we’ve had very similar batters, right-handed, all five feet, ten or 11 inches, very similar styles.
“I’ve been conscious of trying to change that a little bit and try and challenge the opposition bowlers with their thoughts and rhythms a little bit more than we have done. It is great to have that with Taylor Cornall and Ed Pollock being left-handers.
“Another really important thing is it has allowed our bowlers to practice bowling at left-handers.
“At times, we have struggled bowling to left-handers.’’
“If you have no one to practice against, it is not an easy skill to transfer. It’s been good for lots of reasons.”
