Preview: Warwickshire v Worcestershire, County Championship

Warwickshire First Team Coach Mark Robinson has expressed frustration at Pakistan pacer Hassan Ali’s delayed return from international duty – but is buoyed by the return to fitness of Liam Norwell and the form of fellow quick Michael Booth.

matc

2024-04-04T14:46:51.000Z

Ali was due to return to his “second home” Edgbaston at the end of March.

But a change of leadership at the Pakistan Cricket Board, plus an extended training camp in Pakistan, means he’ll miss the Vitality County Championship curtain raiser against Worcestershire.

The 29-year-old, who took 33 wickets for the Bears last season, is expected to be available for the Division One trip to Hampshire starting on 19 April.

Warwickshire’s bowling attack will again be led by ageless seamers Olly Hannon-Dalby and Chris Rushworth who took 54 and 53 red ball wickets, respectively, in the 2023 campaign.

Robinson also includes Liam Norwell in his squad to face the Pears – the first time he’s featured in a County Championship squad since his September 2022 nine for 62 heroics – alongside Booth who’s impressed in pre-season.

Robinson said: “It’s been frustrating for everybody, including Hassan, with the uncertainty surrounding the Pakistan Cricket Board. We know what Hassan brings, explosive energy on the field and a caring character off it, and it’s positive we now have a date for his return.

Preview: Warwickshire v Worcestershire, County Championship - Image 2

It’ll be the 196th First Class derby between Warwickshire and Worcestershire – Bears leading with 52 wins to 38 – with the last three matches all ending in draws.

Warwickshire will be captained for the first time in the County Championship by Alex Davies who took over at the helm from former skipper Will Rhodes who stood down last April.

Persistent rain has hampered both sides’ preparations for the new season but Robinson said the excitement and anticipation for the new season is palpable around the camp.

He added: “It’s an exciting time for everyone, for supporters, players and all the staff, but especially so for a new captain.

“Al’s settled in well to the role. We knew he would after seeing the way he captained in the Blast last summer. He’s got the backing of everybody at the Club and the dressing room is 100 per cent behind him.

“Day One is always something you look forward to. You want that first session to go well for you so you can settle into the new season and enjoy it.”

This weekend’s game will be Will Rhodes’ 100th career First Class match, while he needs 18 more runs to reach 6,000 for the Bears in all formats.

Squad

Ed BarnardChris BenjaminJacob BethellMichael BoothDanny BriggsMichael Burgess (wk)Alex Davies (c)Sam HainOlly Hannon-DalbyDan MousleyLiam NorwellWill RhodesChris RushworthRob Yates

How to Follow

Members and supporters can follow the match live in our Match Centre at edgbaston.com, which will include a free to watch Live Stream, with BBC commentary, and a live text commentary. You can also watch replays of all the action.

Supporters can get involved by sending their match day comments and thoughts on X (Twitter) via @WarwickshireCCC and we’ll publish the best ones on our live text commentary in the Match Centre.

Supporters can also watch the Live Stream and get instant push notifications of all wickets, innings and match results via the Edgbaston app, which is free to download on iOS and Android.

Match updates will also be available across the Club’s social media accounts, simply search for @WarwickshireCCC.