EVERGREEN Pears opener Daryl Mitchell says the county is looking forward to the challenges ahead after a 10-day break from action.
The rain-affected clash with Lancashire was the first of two home games in a fortnight for the Pears who welcome Division Two leaders Sussex to New Road on Monday (June 17).
Opener Mitchell said: “Did the break come at a good time? Absolutely. We’ve had a tough couple of games, against two very good sides let it be said, particularly against Lancashire at Old Trafford on a difficult wicket for batters certainly.
“As a batting group, it’s been testing during the last two-and-a-half games against some good bowling in difficult conditions.
“It was nice to have a regroup, almost like a mini pre-season, going into the next game with a few training sessions.
First-team coach Alex Gidman said: “Win or lose against Middlesex, the lads deserved the break. Had we won, I wouldn’t have been sitting there afterwards saying it would be nice to carry on. We needed the break regardless.
“It’s been some intense cricket and, although the Lancashire match lasted only three days and we lost nearly a day to rain versus Middlesex, it doesn’t make it any less tiring.
“The lads are still mentally working very hard and they have been able to switch off and recharge the batteries. Do the coaches switch off? I probably won’t switch off until the end of September so that answers that one.
“When you care and you want guys to do well, it’s naturally very hard to switch off.
“It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s not a plea for sympathy. It’s the nature of the beast.
“You constantly think about the game and how we can get better and what we can do as coaches to try and help the lads perform on the pitch.”