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Moody's unexpected absence significant

This is centenary year for Worcestershire in the County Championship and for first-class cricket at their idyllic New Road ground. It is also a benefit year for their centurion among century-makers.

The county's celebrations, which are to include a visit by the Duke of Edinburgh for a one-day match against the Australians on May 10, coincide with a financial tribute to Graeme Hick's 100th hundred last summer.

Pomp and ceremony will not always be a partnership between club and gourmet of their batting records. Hick plans to be feasting with England for half the season, firstly in Sharjah, then the World Cup and possibly Tests against New Zealand.

This places an immediate query over Worcestershire's ability to qualify as a first division side in the split championship of next year, and more so after Australia's about-turn in selecting Tom Moody for their World Cup squad. The loss of captain and vice-captain - and the side's heaviest run-scorers - during a formative period in the season will be a taxing experience for Martin Horton in his new role as cricket committee chairman.

Horton's appointment is a throwback to the county's first wave of success, in which the off-spinner and opening batsman - he did the double twice - played in two Tests in 1959 and Don Kenyon's championship-winning teams in 1964 and 1965. After 15 seasons at New Road, he spent 18 years as national coach in New Zealand, a broad-based mandate incorporating some involvement with the Test side and the pioneering of coaching schemes.

At the age of 50, the call of home brought him back to Worcester as cricket coach at the Royal Grammar School and eventually to where he is happiest with election to the county committee 12 years ago. Given that Horton's knowledge of first-class cricket spans almost half a century he is ideally qualified to be the link between policy-makers and players, but he does not intend to meddle in day-to-day matters.

``I know when I was a player that we hated committee men in the dressing room,'' he acknowledged. ``There was one day when Major Jewell came in and addressed Roly Jenkins. 'Why did you open the bowling, Jenkins?' 'Because I am captain,' said Roly.''

Horton said: ``We voted in favour of two divisions, even though we are not one of the Test match clubs or moneyed clubs.''

So how do Worcestershire expect to cope? ``As one of the smaller counties, it's vital - certainly to our treasurer - that we finish in the top half this summer and in the top six next year.

``When promotion and relegation come in, 12 of the 18 have got to play in the second division in the first two years.''

More than ever, the work of coach Bill Athey and assistant Damian D'Oliveira is essential to sustained prosperity. A crop of young batsmen appeared last season and Duncan Catterall is a seamer of some promise.

Though Worcestershire have a competitive lower batting order, they are sometimes too reliant on Hick and Moody.

It ought to be a summer for advancement by Philip Weston and the England A tourist, Vikram Solanki, and one of fruition for David Leatherdale after falling one short of 1,000 runs last year. Equally welcome would be the rehabilitation of Reuben Spiring after a 12-month lay-off.

Team Details & First-Class fixtures

Staff: T M Moody, Kabir Ali, Kadeer Ali, N E Batson, D N Catterall, R J Chapman, R Driver, A Hafeez, G R Haynes, G A Hick, R K Illingworth, S R Lampitt, D A Leatherdale, M M Mirza, P J Newport, D B Patel, J M de la Pena, +D J Pipe, P R Pollard, M J Rawnsley, +S J Rhodes, A Sheriyar, V S Solanki, K R Spiring, W P C Weston, E J Wilson.

New players: Kabir Ali (West Bromwich Dartmouth CC), Kadeer Ali (Attock CC), J M de la Pena (Kent & Banbury CC), P R Pollard (Notts).

Released: S W K Ellis.
Beneficiary: G A Hick.

1998 record Championship

12th (P17 W4 D7 L6).
AXA League: 7th (P17 W7 T1 L6 NR3).
B & H Cup: Zonal stage.
NatWest Trophy: 1st rd.

First-class fixtures

April
Thurs 8: Oxford University (The Parks). Tues 13: Durham (Riverside).Tues 20 Surrey (Worcester). Wed 28 Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge).

May
Fri 14: Hampshire (Southampton). Wed 19: Warwickshire (Edgbaston). Wed 26: Glamorgan (Worcester).

June
Wed 2: Sussex (Horsham). Wed 9: New Zealand, if not in World Cup (Worcester). Tues 15: Somerset (Worcester). Wed 30: Northamptonshire (Northampton).

July
Fri 9: Kent (Worcester). Wed 14: Gloucestershire (Cheltenham). Thurs 22: Leicestershire (Worcester).

August
Wed 4: Yorkshire (Headingley). Tues 10: Sri Lanka A (Worcester). Wed 18: Derbyshire (Kidderminster). Tues 24: Lancashire (Worcester).

Sept
Wed 8: Essex (Chelmsford). Wed 15: Middlesex (Worcester).