Head Coach Alan Richardson believes Worcestershire were made to pay for “missed opportunities” after falling just short in their fourth innings chase against Sussex in the latest round of the Rothesay County Championship.
Chasing 361 to win at Hove, Worcestershire posted the highest fourth innings total of the match, led by a magnificent 167 from Jake Libby, but ultimately fell 47 runs short on the final evening.
Reflecting on the performance, Richardson admitted the roots of the defeat stretched back to the first innings.
“To score the highest total in the fourth innings shows the fight we had,” said Richardson. “But we still left ourselves far too much to do. A 104-run deficit between the first and second innings put us under real pressure. That gap always felt like a bit too much.”
Libby’s innings once again stood out, particularly at a ground where he has a remarkable record.
“It was absolutely tremendous,” Richardson said. “A standout innings in the match, the way he went about it showed what a skilful, disciplined player he is. He knows his game so well and that knock was one he should be incredibly proud of.”
Despite the final-day drama, Richardson was honest in his assessment of where things went wrong across the match.
“Sussex added over 200 for their last four wickets in the first innings. That hurt us. We’d worked hard to get into a good position, and then weren’t able to apply pressure for long enough, and that’s what Division One cricket demands.”
He acknowledged the efforts of the bowling group, particularly Tom Taylor who claimed seven wickets in the match, and Ben Allison whose spells were full of promise.
“Tommy bowled really well, and Benny Allison was outstanding too, probably deserved more than he got. But we talk a lot about applying pressure for long periods, and in patches we let the game slip. That’s the difference at this level.”
With a quick turnaround ahead of the next fixture against Essex, Richardson is clear on the message to his side.
“We’ve got to keep doing the basics well, and for longer,” he said. “Jake did that with the bat, Tommy did it with the ball early in the game. It’s not rocket science. Championship cricket is a game of repetition. The challenge now is to take those lessons and put them into action next week.”
