Ahead of England Women’s hotly anticipated One Day International clash with Ireland Women later this summer, we are taking a look back at a selection of Worcestershire players who have represented the Three Lions over the years.
From the glory days of Basil D’Oliveira to the modern-day stars such as Issy Wong and Moeen Ali – plenty of Pears have made their mark on the international stage.
Graeme Hick MBE:
65 Test Matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England. 7,229 runs across all formats.
Representing England between 1991-2001, Hick’s journey into the England set-up took a diversion via the Zimbabwe national team, where he played for three years before switching nationalities and becoming eligible for England through residency regulations.
Having cemented his status as one of the most prolific players on the county circuit and with 57 first-class hundreds under his belt, the Worcestershire man debuted for England against West Indies on 23rd May 1991 as part of a three match ODI series.
Despite only scoring 14, his class came to the fore in the final match of the series where he stroked 86 not-out whilst playing a crucial role a match winning stand of 213.
The middle-order batter went on to score six Test Match centuries for England during his career, the first of which was a high-score of 178 against India in 1993, in a sublime innings that kickstarted the finest spell of his test career that saw him average over 45 on the tour of South Africa a few years later.
Although his career on the international stage was arguably ended prematurely, Hick continued to ooze class for Worcestershire on the domestic scene until his eventual retirement from cricket in 2008.
Sarah Glenn:
19 One Day Internationals and 73 T20’s. 112 wickets across all-formats.
A former Worcestershire Rapids star, Sarah Glenn represented the Club between 2018 and 2022, bursting onto the scene in style.
She won a maiden international call-up for England’s 2019 series against Pakistan in Malaysia on the back of an impressive Kia Super League season and five weeks later was named in their squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia.
After being named PCA Women’s Player of the Year in 2020, two years later she rose to second in the Women’s Twenty 20 International (WT20I) bowling rankings, as she built her reputation as one of the best bowlers in the global game.
With a stellar average that sits below 17, the leg-spinner has experienced most of her success in the 50-over format, where she recorded her best figures of 4-18 in an England shirt, against Pakistan in December 2019.
In a blossoming franchise career, Glenn has gone on to play in both The Hundred and the Big Bash.
Basil D’Oliveira CBE:
44 Test Matches and Four One Day Internationals. 2,514 runs and 50 wickets across all-formats.
Despite writing himself into Worcestershire folklore as one of the greatest players to represent the county, Basil’s England career only lasted six-years, having only been recognised for his talents on the international scene at the age of 29.
In 1966, he was selected to the face the West Indians in the Second Test, scoring 27 before being run out, and returning bowling figures of 1 for 24 and 1 for 46 in 39 overs.
Scoring five centuries and 15 half-centuries for England in test match cricket, Basil was effective during his England career, but arguably his most memorable performance in and England shirt was his iconic 158 for England against Australia at The Oval in August 1968, that transpired to be a career-defining innings.
Coming in at number six, Basil reeled off a stunning 158 from 325 deliveries, with the performance forcing his selection for the upcoming tour of South Africa, which was subsequently cancelled after South Africa refused to accept him, in one of the most controversial periods of English and wider cricketing history.
The innings is widely regarded as one of the most significant in cricket history, not just for the performance, but for its role in bringing the injustice of apartheid to a global audience.
His legacy at his beloved Worcestershire, however, will forever live on as one of the greatest and most accomplished players ever to represent the county.
Issy Wong:
One Test Match, Four One Day Internationals, 17 T20’s. 20 wickets across all-formats.
A star at the very start of her international career, Issy, started her career as a Pear back in 2018, bursting onto the scene as a talented right-arm medium fast bowler, where her skills were quickly noticed by England hierarchy.
The lauded youngster made her England debut on 27 June 2022, in a Test Match against South Africa, impressing immediately by taking three wickets in the match and announcing herself on the international stage.
With 22 England appearances to her name, Wong’s versatility and variation in limited overs cricket makes her one of the most exciting prospects on the Three Lions’ ranks today.
Moeen Ali:
68 Test Matches, 138 One Day Internationals and 92 T20’s. 6,678 runs and 366 wickets across all-formats.
After bursting onto the domestic scene as a powerful lower-order batter, the transition to an off-spinning all-rounder fast-tracked Moeen onto the England radar, where he subsequently made his international bow in a One Day International against West Indies in February of 2014.
Moeen’s versatility was highlight in both facets of the game, where batted everywhere across the top eight in all three formats, averaging over 20 whilst doing so, whilst also proving his worth as an out-and-out spin bowler for the side.
In 2017 the Worcestershire captain helped his England side to a 211-run victory over South Africa at Lords, where he scored 87 runs and took a remarkable 10-wickets in the match after a stunning display of off-break bowling.
His record for the fastest ever T20I half-century (16 balls against South Africa in 2022) still stands to this day.
The former England captain’s glistening career that saw him win both the ICC Cricket World Cup 50-over and T20 tournament’s, alongside his wider role as a crucial player in England’s recent white ball revolution, make him one of the biggest success stories to progress from the Worcestershire ranks in recent memory.
