ALAN Richardson admits his Worcestershire CCC side are ‘itching to get going’ ahead of the start of the new County Championship season.
The Pears make the trip to Taunton to take on Somerset with the match to begin at 11am on Friday, April 4.
And after failing to win any of their first seven Division One matches last term, Richardson want this side to push for consistency in the opening weeks of the campaign.
Richardson said: “The boys have worked incredibly hard across the winter, and we’ve got a strong squad available.
“It’s never easy making tough calls, but that’s the nature of the Championship across 14 games.
“We know Somerset are a strong side and they’ve been pushing for that title for a while now.
“For us, though, it’s about how we perform, how we conduct ourselves, the intensity we bring, and how we react to the competitive challenge.
“You can’t replicate Championship cricket in pre-season friendlies, so this is the real test.
“Last year we didn’t manage a win in the first seven games, but we still put in some really strong performances.
“If we can replicate that and get on the right side of a few key moments, then we’ll give ourselves a great platform.
“It’s all about how we operate as a team, stick together, and push for consistency.”
Overseas signing Jacob Duffy remains unavailable until the second round of fixtures while a mild concussion has also ruled Fateh Singh out of the club’s opening game of the season.
Pears captain Brett D’Oliveira will lead the side with new-signing Ben Allison in line for a first-class debut as a permanent Worcestershire player.
