More Visitors, Loads of Runs and The End of an Era.

Its been yet another busy month, but whats new in this job!! Its getting to the business end of the season and promotion back to Division 1  is within our grasp. But it hasn’t only been busy on the pitch, off the pitch has been busy too with visitors galore!!

The wickets have been playing well and the drop in the water table from earlier in the season is really making a difference. They are definitely harder with little or no marks on the pitch on the first day of a Championship match, unlike earlier in the season when the wicket would be ’scarred’ with indentations from the ball on the wicket. We’ve changed preparation slightly, the coach has wanted loads of grass on the wicket for our home 4 day games. When I say loads, I mean loads!! We are only cutting the wicket if asked to, and when thats done its to a length of 6mm. The last couple of Championship games have been played on wickets that had a very heavy cover of grass but were hard. They did a bit but there was high runs scored and more importantly home wins!!!!

 Speaking of loads of runs the team broke all the ground records in our recent Pro40 match against league leaders Gloucestershire. We needed a win to take us out of trouble in the Pro40 league and we did it in style! In front of the Sky Sports cameras we posted a mammoth 315 for 5 in our 40 overs! It was total carnage on a ’sticky’ wicket, and by that I mean a glued one!!!! In reply Gloucestershire got up to 295 in a game the crowd never thought we’d lose but were kept on the edge of their seats all the way to the end. It was a stark contrast to the beating we got the week before at home to Durham, sometimes I wonder if it is the same team that plays week in week out!!

The last few weeks also brought me some visitors. First the ‘older’ crew came over for the Durham game. It was a second trip of the summer for Smithy, but Lenny, Paddy, Surf and Stevie were all Worcester ‘virgins’!!!! Some missed the train from Birmingham down to Worcester because of the local ale (including myself!!!), but at least I made it to dinner, unlike one of my guests!!!!!!!! The following weekend brought Butzy and his better half Michelle over to see me. Its always great to see your friends…..even though it takes me a week to get over the visit!!!! Thanks for coming!

Well a big announcent was made this week that I never thought would make such a huge impact around the ground. Graeme Hick announced his retirement after 24 years of service to the Club. I always knew he was a legend of the game but to see the reaction of the fans and staff was amazing. He has been injured lately and didn’t play the last Championship game at home to Warwickshire. It was during that game he announced his retirement and there were people in tears on the day. He had an emotional press conference after which the reporters gave him a standing ovation. He is an amazingly nice man. He would never pass you without saying hello. I will never forget when I first met him, he cam over to me and introduced himself, “Hi Karl, I’m Grame Hick, Welcome to the Club”. I responded by saying that he didn’t need to introduce himself to me, I knew who he was, you’re a legend! He has become synonymous with Worcestershire County Cricket Club and will be missed greatly by all.