By Huzaifa Yousafzai from Utilita Bowl
On the second day of Worcestershire’s County Championship visit to the Utilita Bowl they were bowled out for 273 and were left trailing by 192 runs at stumps.
At one point Hampshire had them 61 for 5 just after lunch before a mammoth 196 run sixth wicket partnership between Gareth Roderick and Ethan Brookes put Worcestershire back in the game.
Whilst Roderick was dismissed for 94, Brookes made his highest first class score of 132 which more than doubled his previous career best total of 50.
“Very nice to obviously tick the first one off as it was just really free flowing batting from me and Rodders (Gareth Roderick),” said Brookes whilst speaking in the post-match press conference.
“I felt like I was seeing the ball quite well which is the best feeling as a better when you know you can hit gaps pretty easily.”
Brookes explained how the team’s tough position with the bat in fact liberated him and allowed him to go out and play with freedom.
“When I went out there, we were in a bad situation, and we could have been all out for 120 so I was told to just play a few shots and (Gareth Roderick) obviously knows I’m good at playing spin. It allowed me to play a few shots and score quickly meaning we could get a bit of momentum and ended in me getting a hundred which was really pleasing.”
“In a situation like that it just amplifies even more that you can be brave and play your shots knowing there’s no repercussions in the dressing room which is a nice environment to have.”
Despite being bowled out for 273, Hampshire didn’t enforce the follow on which greatly pleased Brookes and his Worcestershire teammates as it gave them a better foothold in the match.
“I think we’re happy bowling again as it takes a little bit more time out of the game for us which is brilliant and if we can get a few early wickets in the morning, we will be in a good spot.”
Arguably the most entertaining part about Brookes’ innings was his consistent sweeping and reverse sweeping of Hampshire’s frontline spinners in Liam Dawson and Felix Organ.
The former Warwickshire all-rounder illustrated how the sweep was an incredibly effective shot for him especially when it came to moving the fielders around.
“If I didn’t hit it for four there was always going to be one or two which just kept the runs coming and made it quite easy for us to score. It made them think about changing the fields or changing the lines of where they’re going to bowl which is brilliant as a batting side.”
“I tried to do (straight drive) a couple of times and missed out but then Dawson went a little bit wider and deeper at mid-off so there was a big gap straight. I then hit one down the ground making Dawson move straighter which opened up a big gap on the offside.”
Brookes then described how his upbringing and years of rigorous training and hard work helped him develop a shot that many players would consider extremely risky especially in the longer formats.
“I just grew up playing the sweep and I played a little bit of hockey at school, so I’ve got that natural movement in my wrists a little bit. I worked really hard on it as a youngster at Warwickshire eventually making It one of my strengths.”
“It can be a little bit nervous to play because it’s a high risk shot but now, I feel more confident playing reverse sweep then a forward defensive.”
Despite making an excellent counterattacking hundred, Brookes and Worcestershire are still 192 runs behind Hampshire and have a lot of work to do before they can even think about getting any sort of result from this game.
