After a competitive Rothesay County Championship clash at Lord’s ended in Worcestershire clinching victory inside three days, Worcestershire Men’s Head Coach Alan Richardson reacted to his side’s hard-fought away win.
Saved by a lower-order rearguard at Derbyshire a week earlier, the Pears showed spirit and commitment in abundance, staying on top throughout a tense Division Two fixture that saw Worcestershire record a first win of the 2026 season.
With vital contributions throughout the match, on a pitch that kept both side’s interested, Richardson pointed to the extended and gritty batting partnerships at both ends of Worcestershire’s batting card as key moments in the match’s eventual outcome.
“The guys worked incredibly hard to put ourselves in with a chance of winning the game, and then to finally get over the line was really good. So they thoroughly deserve the points that have come our way.
“Yesterday they (Middlesex) got some real momentum, but a really good partnership today from Rodders (Gareth Roderick) and Matthew Waite in that 49-run partnership was really crucial.
“I think if we’d lost those three wickets quite early today, momentum thoroughly would have gone against us. I think that just gave us a nice little platform to be able to set the fields for as long as we wanted, as much as we could, and give ourselves a chance of winning the game.
“That partnership was key, but there were some really good ones along the way. Dan and Jake and then Jake and Kash yesterday to make sure that we put ourselves in a really good position, they were also really important.”
Ahead an inspirational knock from Brett D’Oliveira steered the visitors out of trouble in the first innings, the Pears looked to be well in the ascendency at stumps on day one, after taking six Middlesex wickets in a clinical bowling display, spearheaded by Oliver Hannon-Dalby’s four wicket haul.
Holding a lead of just eight runs by the time the Pears returned to bat on the second day, Dan Lategan showed all of his class in an innings that oozed confidence, with his 65 supported by a composed 79 from partner Jake Libby, that anchored Worcestershire’s total of 253.
The metronomic Tom Taylor, aptly supported by concussion substitute Ben Gibbon and all-rounders Ethan Brookes & Matthew Waite, Worcestershire pressed home their advantage in style, wrapping up a memorable 56-run win in the closing stages of the third day.
Richardson said his side were richly deserving of their win and the 19 points the team will take back to New Road.
“We just spoke about it, and Brett spoke really well about what a team effort it was, and it very much needed to be.
“It’s nice to win away. Ash talks about it a lot, to really treasure those wins. In four day cricket, they generally have to be really hard earned.
“So to win here is a big, big occasion for the guys. A lot of them haven’t played here before or played very little, and given Middlesex came off the back of a really good result here last week, for us have done that, I think the boys should be very proud.”
