Gareth Roderick is relishing the challenge of combining his first taste of Vitality County Championship Division One cricket with opening the batting and keeping wicket.
Roderick will have a key role to play when Worcestershire continue their battle to cement a spot in the top flight against local rivals Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road starting on Monday (September 9).
He has scored nearly 600 Championship runs, including two centuries, and has formed a solid partnership with Jake Libby since being handed the opening role mid-way through last season.
The 33-year-old has faced up to the demands of higher quality and more in-depth bowling attacks than experienced in Division Two although Roderick feels he should have cashed in more on occasions when well set.
Roderick, who also topped 400 runs in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, said: “You look back at certain games now where you kind of got in and didn’t go big.
“I think back to the away Kent game and getting out just after getting a hundred when there was a real chance to kick on and get a big one.
“The Surrey game, to get to 60-70 and not kick on and bat for longer.
“I suppose with opening the batting you have to come to terms with the fact you are going to have runs of low scores.
“That is part of the game sometimes with the new ball. You get balls with your name on it but you always want to do better.
“With the bowling, for sure there is a higher calibre of player. You often come up against guys who have played international cricket, or are currently playing international cricket.
“It is just a lot more relentless, there is no real ease off. Sides have a couple of injuries and they still bring in a couple of guys who are top calibre.
“In Division Two, if you don’t have a fully fit squad, you are sometimes playing guys who are quite inexperienced so the difference in experience levels is a lot different.
“We have also played on pitches that you are not accustomed to if you have played your career in Division Two.
“If you get to your Old Traffords and your Ovals, things are slightly bouncier and quicker and they are different challenges.
“But they are challenges that have been really fun to put yourself up against and have some new experiences which after 10 plus years in county cricket, new challenges are sometimes hard to find.”
Roderick, who is in his fourth season at New Road, began his Worcestershire career batting in the middle order but embraces the demands of keeping wicket and going in first with the bat.
He said: “It is a bit of a challenge but something I’ve always been keen to do. I’ve never wanted to batted six or seven in that traditional keeper role.
“I’ve always viewed myself as a batter. I’ve spent the majority of my career in the top five. Before I picked up wicket-keeping, I was just an opening batter.
“It’s not something that is foreign to me and it’s something I really enjoy and I’m thankful that Brett and the coaching staff have put faith in me.
“They believe I can do that job for the team as well.”
Roderick admits he tries to take a positive approach to batting at the top of the order.
He said: “I think it’s one of those when you are playing against top quality bowlers and the best way I see it is to try and put a little bit of pressure on.
“If they miss, you can at least capitalise otherwise it can be a long day just defending your off stump.
“Some of these attacks don’t miss very often so if you are not capitalising when they do miss, it’s a real tough ask just to stick it out.”
