Plenty of learnings for Pears to take from opening draw at Derby, says Adam Finch

Whenever you go for 600, even if it is the flattest pitch in the world, you are always pretty down about it. To be fair, the pitch at Derby was not the flattest – it was a good cricket wicket in that if you bowled a bad ball, you could be punished but if you bowled well, you could get your rewards. The ball nipped about fairly consistently, but we were not ruthless enough in terms of the amount of balls we stacked around up the top of off-stump. Ben Aitchison showed us how to do it. He bowled really well and challenged the batters most. We were not consistent enough. 

From the position we were in, to come away with a draw was a very positive result after the guys dug in brilliantly in our second innings. There was a lot of confidence in the lads that we could do it, as we have before. Waity, Brooksy, Hosey and Dolly all batted for good chunks of time and it was massively pleasing to show the character and determination that we always talk about showing in that sort of situation. It’s one thing to talk about it, another to show it and the lads did brilliantly. I was due in next…and was very happy not to be required! 

It was great to have Olly Hannon-Dalby on board. He brings a massive wealth of knowledge and experience of fast-bowling and I have already had a chance to pick his brains about swing bowling. All the bowlers will be better for having had that first match under our belts. You never want to spend 150 overs in the field, but there is nothing like match overs and intensity to hone your game and that will have helped us. 

We are well aware that ideally you don’t get into a position to test out whether you have the strength to get out of trouble. We don’t want to be playing catch-up in games, starting against Middlesex at Lord’s on Friday. Middlesex had a great start to the season with an innings win over Gloucestershire, so we need to put the learnings from Derby straight into practice at Lord’s. It’s a wonderful venue and I have never played there before so will be really excited if I get picked to play. I have been 12th man there, and done a little bit of bowling before play out in the middle, and even then you feel the incredible history of the place. I have been as a spectator, I watched Tonguey make his England Test debut there, and it is a very special ground. 

Our objective this weekend is clear - to evoke the spirit of the great Worcestershire side of 1966, who travelled home from Lord’s having won by an innings (the only Pears side to do so in a Championship game at the home of cricket). Jack Flavell, Len Coldwell and Basil D’Oliveira took a collective 17 for 100 in the match. Now those guys knew how to hit the top of off!

FINCHY