Adam Finch is looking to build on achieving a personal milestone against Warwickshire at Edgbaston when Worcestershire return to Vitality County Championship action in Friday’s Division One encounter against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
The pace bowler was chosen for the opening game of a Worcestershire campaign for the first time in his career and responded with three wickets to help his side achieve maximum bowling points.
It was Finch’s first appearance for Worcestershire since he suffered a back injury after playing a key role with seven wickets in last July’s Championship win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
But he has been building up his fitness in the New Year playing grade cricket in Australia for Sturt CC, and finished with 3-56 from 14 overs against the Bears.
Finch said: “It is the first time I’ve started the first game of the year in the Championship side. It was really nice to be back out there, playing with the lads, and getting a few more overs under my belt, and finding some rhythm.
“It was encouraging to play that first game and it gives you a lot of confidence. It is always one of those things that you are striving for when you are building up in the winter.
“You tell yourself ‘I’ll be ready for that first game’ and ‘make sure I’m hitting the ground running.’
“It can sometimes be a little bit of a wind out of the sails scenario when you don’t get picked.
“But to get picked for the first game of the year for the first time was really pleasing and nice to see some hard work paying off.”
Finch and his fellow members of the attack had to contend with the challenge of ferocious winds when bowling.
He said: “It presented a different challenge. Everyone has played when a ground is a big boggy and a bit wet, all those kind of things, but I’ve never played in a game where the wind has been as bad as that, and played as much of a factor.
“It really would knock you off your stride. I can think of a couple of balls I bowled that I got to the point of delivery and was in a completely different position to what I’m used to because the wind blew a big gust.
“It was quite a good one to figure out, another challenge.”
Finch picked up 28 wickets in seven Championship games last summer, including his first five wicket hauls against Glamorgan and Yorkshire.
But he is more focused on making a positive contribution for the team than any individual targets.
He said: “I didn’t set any individual targets last year. I just want to make sure I am positively contributing to the team and making impacts where I can.
“I want to judge myself on that at the end of the year rather than collecting a certain amount of wickets.
“Obviously the more I get the merrier, but I can judge myself more on how I contribute to the team.
“That is a more rounded way to judge yourself rather than a specific wickets goal.”
Finch will come up against his former Worcestershire team-mates Dillon Pennington and Jack Haynes at Trent Bridge.
He said: “We are trying to win a game of cricket for Worcestershire and them for Nottinghamshire.
“We are all close off the pitch but, as soon 11am strikes and the game starts, it’s about winning a game of cricket for your team.
“It’s a game of professional cricket and a lot at stake.
“Having a good performance under our belt is really helpful and, the more we can stack up, enjoy early successes in this division, the better it will be for us in the long run.”
