Chris Woakes is looking forward to a huge derby showdown with Worcestershire as Warwickshire Bears look to bounce back in the Vitality Blast on Friday 29 May.
After coming out on the wrong side of results against Gloucestershire and Somerset in the Blast so far, the Bears travel to New Road hoping to kick-start their campaign with a much-needed win against their fierce rivals.
Woakes, who will be a key part of the Bears’ bowling attack as they make the short trip on Friday, says this is the perfect game to get their season back on track.
“It’s a huge, huge fixture,” he said. “Going to New Road, it’s always lively down there on a Friday night, and always a great atmosphere to play in.
“I think it’s a good game for us at the right time. Maybe we need that extra motivation for us to really get going.
“We haven’t started the way we’d have liked, so it’s a big fixture for us in particular. We’ve done some good stuff for the last couple of games, but we haven’t quite put it all together. Hopefully we can do that on Friday.
“It’s a fixture which has a lot of tradition behind it and I’m sure the fans will be excited for this one.”
Woakes retired from international cricket with England at the end of last summer after making 217 appearances across all formats for his country, before returning to the Bears for the full 2026 campaign.
Having had a strong impact in the Rothesay County Championship, where Warwickshire sit second in the Division One table, Woakes says the team are working hard to carry that form into the T20 arena.
“It took a little while to get my head around retiring from England, but we’ve got a great group of lads here and a great management group which have really helped,” he added.
“Coming back to Warwickshire though, it’s my home, always has been, and I always feel welcome here.
“It would be nice to probably have a few more wins on the board and a few more wickets in the back pocket, but that’s the nature of the game sometimes. We’re working hard to put it right.
“The group is in good spirits still. We’ve been training hard and we’re excited for this Friday night.”
Warwickshire Bears against Worcestershire Rapids takes place at 5:30pm on Friday 29 May at New Road. The teams will be announced at the toss.