Rhodes: “It’s always great to finish the season at home”

Club Captain Will Rhodes was pretty pleased to see Edgbaston as their final destination for the 2023 season.

With the fixtures released on Wednesday, all eyes turned to the new season which starts for the Bears on Thursday 6 April in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

That opening fixture is a trip to Taunton, but for many it’s the final game that’s caught attention. Mark Robinson’s side will host Somerset, like they did during that dramatic 2021 double-winning campaign.

“Hopefully we’re in the same position as we had two years ago,” said Rhodes. “Obviously, we don’t want to be in the same position as we were last year, but it’s always great to finish the season at home. You just never know how the season is going to pan out, so to have the last game at home is always fantastic.

“The Members get the behind you, especially when there is something on the line like we’ve had in the last two years.

“I’m really excited to finish at home and obviously starting away to Somerset, who are a fantastic team. They’ve recruited really well in the in the off season and I’m sure they’ll have a fresh battery of quick bowlers, including my old mate Brooksy (Jack Brooks).

“The winter can be quite brutal so it’s one more step towards the season. At the minute there are only about eight and nine of us in training so just feels like one step closer to the summer. It’s just started to get a few degrees colder here, so anything that you can do to motivate yourself towards the summer is fantastic. It’s a very exciting day.”