Worcestershire newcomer Ben Allison is determined to try and create “more happy memories” during his next three years at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Allison has made the move from Essex to Worcestershire on a three-year contract until the end of the 2027 season.
But he has already enjoyed two successful loan spells at New Road and is hungry for more success.
Allison initially linked up with Worcestershire for the finale of the 2023 season and was part of the side which sealed promotion to Division One of the Vitality County Championship.
He then had a second loan spell at New Road mid-way through last summer and played a major role in Worcestershire’s first Championship win of 2024 against Durham at Seat Unique Riverside with five wickets.
Allison, a staunch Ipswich Town fan, says the camaraderie and team spirit and ‘feel of the club’ was one of the key reasons in him making the move from Essex where there was a similar togetherness in the dressing room.
Now he is determined to try and stake a claim to play all three formats of the game on a regular basis and develop into “a really proven all-rounder.”
Allison showed his potential with the bat during his first spell with Worcestershire in making a career best 75 against Yorkshire at Headingley.
He said: “I’ve got very happy memories of the two loan spells. The main aim is to keep going and creating more happy memories over these next few years.
“Going forward, it is just a case of taking it a game at a time and hopefully at some point in the next few years, we see some more trophies in that cabinet.
“In 2023, when we got promoted, that was such a great experience to be part of that and getting the points needed in the final game.
“Everyone chipped in here and there and that last month of the season was great.
“Then last summer, the win over Durham, that really kick-started something which led to a very good season for the club.
“It was a massive game. Twenty one wickets fell on the first day and it was always going to be effectively a bowl-out in the conditions.
“Kashif Ali played an absolutely unbelievable knock in the second innings, to be so calm and composed.
“As much as I was on loan at the time, every team you are part of, you want to win games with them.
“That second innings, everyone was nervy in the dressing room, not moving seats, staying in the same positions, and thankfully it all came together really nicely and we got over the line.”
Allison will join up with his team-mates on Monday when Worcestershire start the countdown to the 2025 campaign by reporting back for pre-season training.
He said: “They are a really good bunch of lads and one of the things that attracted me to join the club more than anything was that the feel of the club was very similar to what I felt to Essex, that camaraderie, and a good dressing room.
“Everyone is together, everyone shares a laugh and a joke and everyone is striving to win games. There are some real characters in that dressing room.”
That desire to win was never more evident than against Allison’s former county at Chelmsford when Worcestershire recovered from 10-4 on the first morning to register a third successive Championship win.
Allison said: “That game summed up the spirit in the squad perfectly but then you’ve got Dolly as captain. Worcestershire runs through his blood, that never say die attitude.
“If you can buy into that mentality and come away from every game having put in your best, win or lose, the club will always be in very good stead and there were some wild scenes afterwards!
“The way the club came together, despite all the injuries and challenges, and provide very stiff opposition for all opponents, was really good to see.”
Allison is looking forward to a new chapter in his career with Worcestershire.
He said: “As a child growing up, you probably want to stay at your home club, but at the end of the day being a professional cricketer is not a long career.
“When you get to 24-25, you want to be playing every single game, in every single competition, and for the last couple of years I’ve never really had that string of games, in red ball cricket for sure.
“In 2022, I played 13 of the 16 T20 games we played, including the quarter-final at Old Trafford, but apart from that I’ve never regularly been in the team.
“For me coming to Worcestershire now, you want to play every single game and hopefully I can do that for the club and contribute and put some match-winning performances in.”
Allison operated chiefly in the third or fourth seamer role with Worcestershire although he did take the new ball on one occasion against Surrey last summer.
He said: “To be honest, I really do enjoy taking the new ball. Growing up and at 19-20 in your first development years as a professional cricketer, playing second team cricket, taking the new ball is what I did.
“It’s not unusual for me to do that. Obviously, the last two years, when I’ve played first class cricket, I haven’t done that but, for me at the moment, it is still finding where my best position is at with both ball and bat.
“For me, it’s just a challenge and something hopefully I can come out on top of. I really do want to take the reins in terms of trying to become a really proven all-rounder.
“We’ve got some all-rounders like Matthew Waite and Tom Taylor and it’s just trying to contribute, get runs and wickets, and put those match-winning performances in.”
Allison has been able to witness and learn from two of the top new ball bowlers during the past decade in Jamie Porter and Sam Cook.
He said: “I think Shane Snater can also be put into that category as well. These last couple of years, he has been outstanding and his record with the ball speaks for itself. He has taken 100 first class wickets for Essex in no time.
“But with Ports and Sam, it is just the consistency. They bash away at that length, hit the top of off stump so regularly and challenge both edges.
“Hopefully I can replicate some of the scenes they create with the ball. In terms of role models, they are proper County Championship high class individuals and Sam Cook has been very unlucky not to receive an England call-up.”
Allison also played a part in another successful loan spell when with Gloucestershire during the 2019 season.
He said: “They got promoted that year as well! I played a bit of a part in that promotion and then Essex did the double so 2019 was a hell of a year.
“It does seem a long time ago but I have quite fond memories of that time as well and was a really good introduction to first class cricket.”
Allison is part of a cricketing family with his father Thomas a club cricketer and one of his brothers in Charlie has represented England Under-19s and played T20 and List A cricket for Essex during the past two seasons.
He said: “I got into game through my dad. When growing up with my brothers, dad was playing league cricket on a Saturday, and we would be there watching him.
“It was through dad that we started playing cricket and it went on from there.
“My one brother Ollie was part of the Essex set-up to 15-16 and then he went the other way and has taken up the golf route now, while Charlie played white ball cricket for Essex last summer.”
