Assistant Head Coach Kadeer Ali says Worcestershire will regroup and respond with belief after a punishing second day against Somerset in the Rothesay County Championship at Taunton.
Tom Banton’s record-breaking 379* and a triple-century stand with James Rew saw Somerset pile on the runs, with Worcestershire’s bowlers toiling hard across a challenging day on a flat surface. Only two wickets fell in the day as the hosts moved into a dominant position, but Kadeer insists the group will bounce back with the bat.
“It was a bit of a brutal day,” said Kadeer. “We’ve had days like this before over the past two or three years, and what I know about this group is that we always respond. We’ll get a good rest tonight and come out fighting again tomorrow.”
Somerset had resumed on 187 for four but quickly took the game away from the Pears thanks to Banton’s exceptional innings, the highest score in Somerset’s history, and a well-constructed 124 from Rew. Despite trying various options, including seam, spin, and different lines of attack, Worcestershire found chances hard to come by.
“We tried everything today,” said Kadeer. “We bowled straight, went a little wider at times, rotated the seamers, and used both our spinners, but fair play to them, they countered us tremendously well.
“Tom Banton was outstanding. I don’t think he gave a chance until he was already past 300. Credit where it’s due; that partnership with Rew was excellent. They complemented each other brilliantly, and on a good pitch, they made us work extremely hard.”
Worcestershire did create one big opportunity when Rew offered a chance to Ben Allison during a tidy morning spell alongside Matthew Waite. But the chance went down, and Somerset made full use of the reprieve.
“For the first 40 minutes or so this morning I thought we were very tidy,” Kadeer added. “Ben Allison and Waitey (Matthew Waite) bowled well, and we created a chance. On wickets like this, it’s key to take those moments when they come.
“It’s tough once set batters get in on a surface like that. We know that from experience ourselves. But we put in a real shift today.”
While Somerset opted not to declare late on Day Two, leaving plenty of time left in the match, Kadeer is backing the Worcestershire batters to show character and turn the momentum in the remaining two days.
“There’s still a lot of cricket left in this game. The lads in the dressing room are more than capable of building big partnerships and scoring heavily. We’ve got guys who can go big. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but there’s definitely an opportunity for someone in our side to do something special.”
And on Somerset’s decision to bat into the final session, Ali said he wasn’t surprised.
“With two full days left and a pitch still offering something, it made sense. There was a hint of spin later in the day, so we expect it to get a little more challenging, but we’re ready for that.”
Kadeer Ali Interview in Full
