I'd Rather Be A Pear.......: Recent Episodes
Dave
Hi,Thank you for taking the time to listen to our podcast.We are Frank Watson and Dave Bradley and between us have a lot of years covering Worcestershire cricket for the BBC and for the old Cricketcall.In our podcast we hope to bring you news, views, interviews and features on Worcestershire cricket.It may seem strange that we have launched this at the end of a season, but we wanted to go for the ‘soft’ option and then head for a full launch in the spring of next year, when hopefully we will have some cricket with crowds in.We would welcome your feedback, good or bad!We hope you enjoy our podcast.Bradders and Frank
Welcome to another edition of I’d Rather Be A Pear, our first of 2023 so a Happy New Year to all our listeners.
Today we are chatting to Richard Jones, the latest edition to the Worcestershire coaching staff, and of course a former player with Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
He talks about his coaching philosophy, is very honest about his playing career and his hopes for the future.
Sit back and have a listen and we are always happy to hear any feed-back from you.
Whilst they may be familiar faces at New Road, Alan Richardson and Kadir Ali both have new jobs and new hopes. ‘Richo’ is now the Worcestershire head coach, while ‘Kadi’ is now the assistant head coach, both former players with the club of course.
They had been working with some of the players at Malvern College when we caught up with them to talk about their thoughts on the game, their ambitions for the club and what their winter work entails.
Make a cuppa, sit back, and have a listen.
Your comments are always welcome.
Bradders and Frank
Just for a change, and our end of season review will be here shortly, but we thought we would have a natter with a man we feel is one of the last of the 'proper' cricket journalists.
Paul Edwards has covered county cricket for as along as he cares to remember and his writing for The Times and Cricinfo has always been something to enjoy.
He has a new book out called Summer Days Promise, including some of his finest writing, with a lot about Worcestershire, and the famous 'Shantry's Match'.
On a wet last day of the season at New Road we caught up with Paul.
Have a listen....and maybe buy the book.
After something of a break we are back, that’s Frank Watson and Dave Bradley, nattering about Worcestershire cricket.
Taking a look back, at the good and the bad, and indeed a look forward, and we'll hear from Alex Gidman, Moeen Ali, Alan Richardson, Brett D’Oliveira and Ed Pollock along the way.
Sir back in a shady spot and enjoy, well we hope you enjoy.
All opinions welcome.
As we head into the 2022 season we thought we'd have a natter with Worcestershire's new skipper Brett D'Oliveira.
Joe Leach stood down at the end of last season and 'Dolly' the third generation of his family to play for the county has taken over, we think the first player born in the City of Worcester to skipper the club.
We (Frank and Bradders)caught up with him during pre-season training with the new season just days away.
Have a listen, we are always open to comment, good or bad.
Don't forget when the season gets underway every County Championship, Vitality Blast and 50 over game will have full commentary online at BBC Hereford and Worcester.
As Worcestershire head towards the start of the 2022 season we thought we would chat to the men in charge of the playing side of things at New Road, head coach Alex Gidman and Assistant/bowling coach Alan Richardson.
‘Richo’ had the honour of being away coaching with England in the West Indies recently and we chat about that, but more about how the winter has gone, hopes for the new season and new players arriving at the club.
So we (Frank and Bradders) gathered at New Road for a natter with the top men.
Hope you enjoy listening, comments are always welcome, and coming soon we’ll be chatting with new skipper Brett D’Oliveira.
In sport to earn the title ‘legend’ a player generally has to play for a club for a long time to earn such a title.
Our guest in this edition of “ I’d Rather Be A Pear “ played just four seasons for Worcestershire, but most county supporters would have given him that legendary status.
Alan Richardson was 34 when he joined the county, but such was his success he became in 2012 one of the Wisden Cricketers of Year, and the following season in a golden spell in nine days in May 2013 he took 24 wickets in two matches.
Now the assistant coach and bowling coach at New Road, ‘Richo’ has been talking to us about his career and his coaching philosophy.
Because of the way we had to record this edition the sound quality is may not be up to our usual standard be we hope you enjoy it.
As this will be out last podcast before Christmas, Frank and Bradders wish you a very happy one and all the best for the New Year.
Worcestershire's second golden era from the late 1980's was led by skipper Phil Neale, as they won two County Championships, two Sunday League titles and the Benson and Hedges Cup.
He was a Wisden cricketer of the year in 1989.
After leaving New Road Phil coached Northamptonshire and Warwickshire and for 21 years was the England cricket operations manager, retiring in 2020.
A fine footballer he played 369 games for Lincoln City winning two promotions with the club.
In this edition of 'I'd Rather Be A Pear' he talks about his career with Bradders and Frank.
Make a cuppa, knock the top off a beer and sit back and listen to some fascinating tales (but not if you are driving!)
The word 'legend' is often over-used in sport and Daryl Mitchell would never consider himself a legend.
Many of those who have watched him and got to know him at New Road would consider him to be one.
Daryl retired at the of the 2021 season, the ovation he got at New Road on that final day was one that will stay in the memory for a long time.
He talks about that last day, about the future and about the long careeer with Worcestershire.
Some fascinating insights into life as a proffesional cricketer, the good days and the bad days.
Make a cup of tea, pour a pint or a G and T and sit back and enjoy.
Welcome back to I’d Rather Be A Pear, and for our latest podcast we have a very special guest.
Dean Headley is now a match referee in county cricket, but it’s his career which started at New Road we wanted to talk about.
In a very down to earth chat Dean tells us about his career with Worcestershire, Middlesex, Kent and England plus some humorous moments from his career, and answers the ‘big ten’ questions at the end.
In the latest edition of I’d Rather Be A Pear we look back at Worcestershire’s start to the county championship season, well the first nine games really, and take a look ahead at the upcoming T20 campaign.
We’ll hear from Alex Gidman, Worcestershire’s head coach, but we’ve tried to work out, in our opinion, where things haven’t gone right.
And what does the match referee do?
We hear the names, and see them wandering around, but what exactly is their job, we hear first hand from one of them.
Have a listen and don’t forget we love to hear your opinions good and bad, you can tweet or message frankwatson58 or braddersatbbc.
With Bradders away on his private Caribbean island, and rain pouring down at Chester le Street, podcaster Frank Watson took the opportunity for a natter with Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach, not about the recent games but much more.
Joe talks about joining Worcestershire alongside a current England selector, his long time out with a back injury and how he feels the squad have a ‘great work ethic’ and what they will do to improve.
Have a listen, let us know what you think on Twitter.
@frnakwatson58 and @braddersatbbc.
Make a cuppa, sit back and enjoy.
Hello everyone.
As we prepare to hit the airwaves again Worcestershire are three games into the season, but in this edition of I’d Rather Be A Pear we have a very special guest.
The only Worcestershire player with his own fan club, Ed Barnard is chatting with us about his career and his life in general, and we are also taking a brief look back at the first three county championship games of the season,
As ever we always want to know your opinions of our podcast, so good or bad do let us know.
Make a cup of tea (or pour a gin and tonic) and sit back, hope you enjoy it.
Cheers Frank and Bradders
Yes, here we are, and it seems a long time since we could bring you a ‘live’ interview as it were, so we are delighted to be back underway.
We are Frank Watson and Dave Bradley who between us have covered more years of Worcestershire cricket than even we care to remember.
Due to Covid restrictions it was all but impossible to bring you interviews of the quality we wanted, both in terms of guests and audio quality.
But we have started back at the top as far as the playing side of Worcestershire cricket is concerned, with our first guest of the summer head coach Alex Gidman.
We think and hope you will find what he has to say of great interest.
Make a cup of tea (but not it you are driving!) sit back and enjoy.
Welcome to episode two of I'd Rather Be A Pear, and following suggestions from the first edition we have invited two Worcestershire legends for a 'natter about the glory days of the late 1980's.
Tim Curtis and Phil Newport were integral parts in the finest period in Worcestershire's history, and of course both played for England
As ever we hope you enjoy our podcast, although sadly the audio is not of the quality we wanted, but due to social distancing we were unable to use a studio and recorded it in Tim's kitchen, which does make it echo a bit.
But the guys have some great tales to tell of the glory years.
We hope you enjoy it and you comments are always welcome.
Worcestershire stalwart Daryl Mitchell has been entertaining himself by picking his best red-ball and white-ball teams from players he has played with at Worcestershire in the 15 years since he made his first-class debut for the club.
Some interesting selections, and as he says a lot of good players haven't made his teams.
Social distancing means we couldn't sit in the sunshine at New Road and have a chat, so we have had to do with social media and while the sound quality isn't the best, the content certainly is!
See if you agree with Mitch's selections.