With just three weeks remaining until the cricketing summer starts for Worcestershire Women’s Rapids, preparations for the side’s imminent pre-season trip are gathering pace.
Affected heavily by the tortuous weather across the winter, the squad have been busy training from their base at Malvern College, where practice has allowed the group to sharpen their focus ahead of the fast-approaching 2026 season.
Wilson explained the purpose of his side’s trip away this pre-season, and the importance of the squad getting accustomed to being back outside before their first taste of competitive cricket arrives on 19th April, away at Sussex.
“We are going to Ventnor on the Isle of Wight for 5 days. It ticks all the boxes and has access to an indoor centre should we suffer any inclement weather so we can still do some meaningful practice.
“We have also chosen to go over Easter weekend so that the players who are working can balance their cricket around work and school commitments.
“For a start it will be about getting onto grass. It’s been a long winter and the sports hall starts to close in on you a bit, so it will be nice to try and put some things into practice that we have been working on and to get some miles in the legs.
“It’s also a great opportunity for the girls to spend some time together socially as it’s a long season and having those strong relationships can only help us through.”
Aside from Sophie Beech and Bryony Gillgrass, who are unavailable for the trip due to their involvements with England U19’s , the rest of the Rapids squad will be travelling in full force to the Isle of Wight for a series of warm-up fixtures.
Included in the squad, is exciting Dutch all-rounder Sanya Khurana, who will be making her first appearance in Rapids colours.
The mixture of limited overs matches that are scheduled have been designed to help all of Wilson’s side get both physically and mentally ready for the Metro Bank One Day Cup curtain raiser at Hove in a few weeks’ time.
“There has been a lot this winter about having plans in certain scenarios and keeping things simple, so this allows them the chance to do that in a game situation before the real competitive stuff starts in a couple of weeks.
“We are playing a mixed side from the local area, men and women, where we have a 50 over game on Good Friday and then two T20 matches on Easter Sunday with a training day in between.
“We will look to involve everyone in the 50-over game and will rotate bowlers through so they all get some overs in. Then we will see how people are holding up for the two T20’s and probably go with 12/13 for each of those games. If the weather holds then everyone will play two games and some of them will play three.
“16 players out of our squad of 20 are going away, which is excellent considering the time of year we are travelling.”
The Head Coach is under no illusions just how crucial it is for the girls to maximise their time outdoors and begin to acclimatise to the vastly different conditions, with the season now just a few weeks away.
With a follow up fixture against Warwickshire Academy pencilled in for the week following the tour, a thorough period of preparation awaits.
After a challenging start across both competitions last season, Wilson is keen for his players to challenge the selectors, saying he won’t be leaving any stone unturned across the next few weeks of build-up.
“It gives us a chance to have a good look at everyone before the season starts and allows players to put their hand up for selection for those first few games. I’m keen for us to give the squad as much opportunity as possible to be ready for the season, but I want them to give us headaches.
“The focus is on bowlers building up their workloads on grass and coming in off full run ups, while the batters will be looking to score some runs.
“As a group, we want to spend long periods of time in the field to see if we can draw on the increased fitness levels the girls have developed over the winter, which will be crucial to help get us through the season and play the kind of cricket we want to play consistently.
“It’s always nice to start well, but in Tier 2 you can’t afford not to.
“The key for us is to get to that first game on the 19th of April with players feeling like they’ve been given every opportunity to do all they can to be ready. It’s a long season and I expect everyone to play their part, but starting well can give us the confidence to push on.”
Worcestershire Women’s Rapids Pre-Season tour squad:
