Archive

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28/7/06 - Trialist duo snapped up by Harriers boss

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers have made a double signing with Brian Smikle arriving from West Bromwich Albion and Scott Eaton agreeing professional terms. Smikle has put pen to paper on a one-year contract after the pacey winger impressed while on trial at

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City 1 Walsall 1

Thursday, July 27, 2006 CITY'S impressive pre-season preparations continued with a solid draw against League Two opponents Walsall last night, writes Mike Flynn. And had it not been for some sloppy defending 10 minutes from time, they would have

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28/7/06 - Clubs lose international player row

WORCESTER Warriors' chances of hanging on to their skipper Pat Sanderson for the Premiership trip to Leicester in November have suffered a setback after the High Court ruled clubs must release players for England's game with New Zealand on the corresponding

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28/7/06 - Aussie to miss more big games

WORCESTERSHIRE'S Liverpool Victoria County Championship and Pro40 promotion bids have been dealt a major blow by the news star batsman Phil Jaques will be returning to Australia at least once more before the end of the season. Jaques, who returns from

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No jetting off for this lot, they like to set up camp in the back garden

AS thousands jet off for holidays abroad, labelled `a sin against the planet' by the Bishop of London this week, one family has found it is fun to stay right here in Worcestershire - camping in their own back garden. Topsy Beves and her late husband

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Bust of British

SIR - Does John Phillpott's wife approve of him printing the photo of a busty young woman on his page each Saturday? GEORGE COWLEY,

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Idiots all around

SIR - In support of the reported comments by retired magistrate John Johnson could I add that not only do idiots run the courts, they also run this country. BRIAN HUNT, Worcester.

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Tell me if you see an untidy garden

SIR - During my walks around the Arboretum ward I am always impressed at this time of the year by the wonderful displays in gardens and windows. It creates a feeling of community, pride and pleasure in where you live. Unfortunately, this is marred by

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Persecution of the pensioners

SIR - It is said that the prisons are full to bursting so they let criminals walk free because there's no room. But they soon found a place for yet another pensioner who refused to pay her council tax as a protest. It just shows that withholding money

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Successful run for everyone concerned

ON Sunday, May 21, around 300 volunteers gave up their free time in the rain to help make the first Acorns Great Malvern Triple Run a success. Volunteers came forward from around the three counties and the West Midlands to help in a wide range of

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The need to bring back death penalty

SIR - Our MPs periodically have a free vote on whether or not to reinstate capital punishment. On each occasion so far, the majority vote has been no because some people convicted of murder in the past were later proved to be innocent and because hanging

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Property owners facing new threat

SIR - The latest development in local government should be a cause of great concern to your readers. Empty Dwelling Management Orders, announced on the sly during England's World Cup fever, will allow councils to seize any house left empty for six months

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Children could be in peril on the riverside

SIR - My children really enjoyed playing in the fountains at the quay near the Cathedral today. What a fantastic way of cooling off in the heat -and it's free! However, I would like to comment on a safety issue that became apparent. There is very little

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Welcome to station of Big Brother

LIVING in a celebrity-obsessed culture does have its downsides. We may never know whether the six young people who appeared in court charged with train fare dodging - four men and two women - have ever entertained the idea of being on a TV reality show

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Victim took snap of house burglar

A MAN who was photographed by the victim of a burglary was yesterday convicted of taking part in a house raid. Alex Jackson and two 17-year-olds targeted a teacher's home in the grounds of Malvern College. One of the teenagers got into Thomas Sharp's

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Drink-drive ban for a shamed hero PC

A POLICE officer who was once named Britain's bravest bobby for disarming a gunman in Worcester, has been banned from driving for more than two years. A court heard yesterday that PC Ian Fielding drove two cars, including a patrol vehicle, while twice

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MP Luff's fury at twisted tale

TORY MP Peter Luff has spoken of his surprise after excerpts of a speech he made to party activists was turned into a story knocking the Conservatives by a pro -Labour Party national newspaper. The Mid-Worcestershire MP's comments at the election of

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Tributes pouring in for road victim, 20

TRIBUTES have been pouring in for a man who died by being hit by a car as he walked along a quiet country lane. Edwin Stribling, of Oatleys Terrace, Ledbury, had been out for a friend's hen night when he was struck by the vehicle as he walked along

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Our troops will march in city for a final time

THE flags will fly and drums will beat when soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters regiment march through Worcester for the final time. About 150 soldiers will be in the city to celebrate their Freedom of Worcester

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Funeral of former city councillor

THE funeral of Patrick Desmond, a retired Worcester solicitor, former city councillor, school governor and musician, is due to take place today. Mr Desmond, aged 88, of Windmill Close, Barbourne, died on Wednesday, July 19, from a liver tumour. His

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We've had our say on retiring

RESIDENTS in the two counties have a chance to re-invent retirement by taking part in the biggest ever survey on the subject. More than 11 million copies of the Have Your Say questionnaire have been distributed across the UK by Heyday to get people

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TRAIN FARE DODGERS NAMED AND SHAMED

TRAIN fare dodgers from Worcestershire have been named and shamed and in some cases have been ordered to pay more than 90 times what their tickets would have cost. Six people were caught without a valid ticket and were ordered to pay a total of £1,066.90

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Water cut off to work on leak

AROUND 30 properties in Worcester were without water yesterday evening while engineers worked to fix a leaking pipe. A spokesman from Severn Trent Water said: "It was an old cast iron pipe that burst. It is on Fort Royal Hill near to the junction with

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Rise in gas prices could put elderly in jeopardy

PENSIONERS could suffer in the winter months after British Gas announced it would put up prices by as much as 12.4 per cent. Age Concern Herefordshire and Worcestershire has revealed it is worried that older people will turn off their gas and electric

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SAMARITANS RAISE MONEY FOR 24HR SERVICE

VOLUNTEERS for the Worcester branch of the Samaritans, including Jill, above, came out from behind their phones to meet people in the city centre and raise funds for their service. They set up a bric-a-brac and book stall in the Angel Place market

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Newcastle 21 Worcester 15

Sunday, January 1, 2006 BREAKAWAY tries from Matt Burke and Dave Walder edged Newcastle to victory in their Guinness Premiership clash with Worcester at King-ston Park. It was hardly a classic but the majority of the 8,864 crowd went home happy as Newcastle

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Connacht 22 Worcester 21

Saturday, December 17, 2005 THIS was a match full of silly mistakes, penalties and yellow cards but high on drama and tension. Both teams fought hard to try and put one foot in the quarter-finals of the second tier of European competition. The rugby was

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Northampton 21 Warriors 22

Saturday, November 26, 2005 WARRIORS had to wait until the very last kick of the game before they could celebrate a nerve-jangling win at Northampton. After Saints skipper Bruce Reihana's penalty drifted wide of the post in injury-time, the Worcester

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26/5/06 - County look for early successes

WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes is remaining positive that a result is still possible in his side's Liverpool Victoria County Championship match with Glamorgan -- but admits the outcome could depend on the weather. With rain forecast for

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Sale 24 Warriors 13

Friday, November 11, 2005 FORMER England star Jason Robinson inspired Sale to an 11-point victory over a luck-lustre Warriors during a scrappy clash at Edgeley Park. Fly-half Shane Drahm scored all Worcester's points with a try, conversion, penalty and

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25/5/06 - New Road track right for Zaheer

PROLIFIC Zaheer Khan claimed 4-65 in Glamorgan's first innings to extend his impressive tally to 25 wickets for the season already -- with 23 of those on home soil. The New Road track is clearly well suited to Zaheer's style of bowling and the Indian

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Warriors 15 Leicester 11

Friday, November 4, 2005 A GALLANT team effort gave Worcester Warriors their first ever win over Leicester on an electric night at Sixways. Shane Drahm kicked five penalties for Worcester but they still had to survive a heart-stopping last few minutes

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24/5/06 - Mason determined to beat injury hoodoo

MATT Mason is confident he can still pick up more than 60 wickets this season, despite an injury-plagued start to the 2006 campaign. The paceman recovered from a shoulder problem in time to play for Worcestershire in their Liverpool Victoria County Championship

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Worcester 36 Montpellier 18

Saturday, October 22, 2005 WORCESTER Warriors made the perfect start to their European adventure this season with victory and five tries against powerful French opponents Montpellier. The hosts treated the Sixways faithful to some highly entertaining

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24/5/06 - County bowlers swoop late on

WORCESTERSHIRE'S bowlers gave the County a ray of light on a mainly gloomy first day of their Liverpool Victoria County Championship match with Glamorgan at New Road. Only 44 overs were bowled yesterday due to rain, but Aussie import Mark Cosgrove managed

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Warriors 22 Leeds 15

Friday, October 14, 2005 WARRIORS' surge into the upper reaches of the Guinness Premiership continued despite a mediocre performance against bottom club Leeds Tykes. Worcester showed plenty of promise, but handling errors and penalties kept Leeds within

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23/5/06 - Rhodes targets double success

WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes will instruct his players to go into today's Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan in 'ultra-positive' mood. Rhodes believes the weather is likely to affect the game, which

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Leicester 42 Warriors 16

Saturday, October 8, 2005 AN under-strength Worcester Warriors made a brave bid to keep the club's Powergen Cup hopes alive before eventually being overwhelmed by a powerful Leicester Tigers team. Warriors didn't roll over as quickly as might have been

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22/5/06 - County launch over 60s line-up

WORCESTERSHIRE Cricket Boa-rd's over 50s team have played in the Inter County Over 50s Championship for many years, but 2006 has seen the launch of an over 60s team. Recently, counties in South East England recognised that many over 50s players were getting

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22/5/06 - Elton's gig revives New Road memories

WHEN Elton John breezes into Wor-cester next month to entertain thousands of his loyal fans, it won't be the first time the flamboyant showman has set foot inside New Road. Back in the summer of 1987, Elton -- aka Reginald Dwight -- enjoyed a day's play

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Llanelli 20 Worcester Warriors 24

Saturday, August 20, 2005 WORCESTER Warriors proved they will be no pushover in the Guinness Premiership this season with a powerful performance that saw them overcome Llanelli Scarlets. Warriors' pack looked to be in peak condition as they dominated

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20/5/06 - Worcs fight to save the follow-on

WORCESTERSHIRE were struggling to save the follow-on as the third day'splay came to a close in the County Championship Division Two match with Surrey at the Brit Oval. The County started the day on 55-0, still trailing Surrey's mammoth first inning total

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Worcester Warriors 10 Auch 23

Saturday, May 21, 2005 IT was difficult to assess who was the least enthusiastic. Was it John Brain, the Worcester players or this reporter? Billed as a day for the supporters, a second-string Worcester side went through the motions of this European farce

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Saracens 28 Worcester Warriors 10

Friday, May 6, 2005 ANDY Keast admitted it was a "game too far" for Worcester as their Heineken Cup hopes ended last night at Vicarage Road. The Warriors' head coach saw his side go down 28-10 at Saracens in the Zurich Premiership wild-card play-off clash

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18/5/06 - Surrey on top as openers impress

SCOTT Newman hit his fifth County Championship half-century of the season on a rain-affected first day of the match against Worcestershire. Surrey finished on 126-0 at The Oval -- but only 38.4 overs were bowled in south London because of rain. Newman

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Worcester Warriors 21 Northampton Saints 19

TO dare, to dare again, ever to dare! These little revolutionaries from Worcester finally won the day as the establishment crumbled away amid scenes of unadulterated joy at Sixways. Harlequins' defeat to Sale meant that the Warriors and Saints could celebrate

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Leeds Tykes 30 Worcester Warriors 30 (64-73 on Agg)

Friday, April 22, 2005 WORCESTER survived a late Leeds rally last night to book their place in the European Shield final. The Tykes scored three late second-half tries to raise hopes of a dramatic comeback but the Warriors eventually held on to force

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Newcastle Falcon 16 Worcester Warriors 21

Sunday, April 10, 2005 IT is indeed true that fortune favours the brave. With seven minutes remaining of this intense clash at Kingston Park, Worcester were faced with the old dilemma. Having been awarded another penalty by Ashley Rowden, the Warriors

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15/5/06 - County back in C&G contention

WORCESTERSHIRE bounced back from their shock defeat against Scotland to crush a weakened Leicestershire side by 61 runs in the C&G Trophy clash at Grace Road. The Royals posted a total of 191-8 in a game reduced to 45 overs-a-side after a delayed

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Worcester Warriors 18 Saracens 19

Saturday, March 26, 2005 CLOSE, but no cigar. Victory here would have seen Worcester almost out of sight in the relegation battle. Defeat, albeit an undeserved one, leaves a return to National One still a nagging possibility for the Warriors. That threat

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Harlequins 9 Worcester Warriors 15

Saturday, February 19, 2005 IT was perhaps typical that Worcester's shuddering blow to the very heart of English rugby was met with a smile rather than a scowl. Despite the sour taste left in the mouth of the Quins' management, all the talk at the Stoop

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15/5/06 - Hemsley one of dying breed

TED Hemsley was among the last in an illustrious line of sportsmen to have played both cricket and football professionally. On April 28, 1971, Hemsley entered the Sheffield United hall of fame as a member of the Blades squad that clinched promotion to

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Worcester Warriors 25 Leeds Tykes 15

Friday, February 4, 2004 JAMES Brown kept the Sixways feel-good factor alive with a 17-point haul as Worcester gunned down Leeds Tykes 22-15 last night. The Warriors fly-half was in outstanding form with two drop goals, three penalties and a conversion

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13/5/06 - Kabir can't save Worcs

WORCESTERSHIRE'S miserable start to the Championship season continued after slumping to Derbyshire by 35 runs at New Road. Despite the best efforts of Kabir Ali, whose scintallating 7-43 left the County chasing 210 to win on the third day's play, the

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12/5/06 - Derbys wrestle control of clash

VIKRAM Solanki yesterday cracked his first Championship century in almost two years. But a superb captain's knock of 110 -- in a one-day style with 96 runs from boundaries -- was not enough to put Worcestershire in command. After dismissing the County

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Leonessa 12 Worcester Warriors 28 (abandoned 50 mins)

Friday, January 14, 2005 WORCESTER Warriors progressed to the semi-finals of the European Shield last night in bizarre fashion. The Sixways side, who were leading Leonessa 32-6 on aggregate following last Friday's first leg victory, won 28-12 in Brescia

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Worcester Warriors 32 Leonessa 6

Friday, January 7, 2005 WORCESTER paved their way to the European Shield semi-finals with a comfortable 32-6 victory over Leonessa last night. The Warriors scored four tries in the quarter-final first-leg tie at Sixways with Thinus Delport, Pat Sanderson

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9/5/06 - Poor day in field is costly to trophy bid

THE STEVE RHODES COLUMN OBVIOUSLY losing to Scotland in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy was a very disappointing result in the sense that we went there very much expecting to beat them. We did not bat that badly but it was in the field and with the

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8/5/06 - Moore has eyes on England cap

WORCESTERSHIRE opener Stephen Moore has set his sights on emulating the likes of Alastair Cook and Owais Shah by gate-crashing his way on to the England scene in 2006. Moore saw the way Cook and Shah took advantage of the unavailability of captain Michael

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Leicester Tigers 50 Worcester Warriors 7

Monday, December 27, 2004 WORCESTER have often held up Leicester as the club they want to be in five years time. At Welford Road, they looked about five years off a re-sult. This was a Premiership non-contest but, you have to suspect, that the Sixways

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Clubs lose international player row

WORCESTER Warriors' chances of hanging on to their skipper Pat Sanderson for the Premiership trip to Leicester in November have suffered a setback after the High Court ruled clubs must release players for England's game with New Zealand on the corresponding

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Worcester Warriors 7 London Irish 9

Saturday, December 18, 2004 WORCESTER have provided some exhilarating moments at Sixways this season. This wasn't one of them as they slipped out of the Powergen Cup with a whimper. In front of the Warriors' lowest crowd of the season, the game was probably

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Webster goal cancelled out

CITY'S impressive pre-season preparations continued with a solid draw against League Two opponents Walsall last night, writes Mike Flynn. And had it not been for some sloppy defending 10 minutes from time, they would have gone one better. But 1-1 was

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Worcester 67 Rovigo 14

Saturday, December 13, 2004 WE'VE had half a dozen spellings and numerous ages given but Uche Oduoza was the name on everybody's lips come Saturday night. The 18-year-old scored a dazzling hat-trick on his Worcester debut as the Warriors eased into the

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Trialist duo snapped up by Harriers boss

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers have made a double signing with Brian Smikle arriving from West Bromwich Albion and Scott Eaton agreeing professional terms. Smikle has put pen to paper on a one-year contract after the pacey winger impressed while on trial at Aggborough

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8/5/06 - Scotland blast County attack

AUSTRALIAN Corey Richards str-oked a superb unbeaten 88 as Scotland opened their C&G Trophy account with a dramatic eight-run win over Worcestershire at the Citylets Grange in Edinburgh. In a match reduced to twenty-five overs a side the Scots, heavily

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Gulliver transfer falls apart but Giles joins

HEREFORD United's plans for their Football League return have suffered a big blow after the collapse of a transfer. Centre-half Phil Gulliver has returned to Rushden and Diamonds due to a bizarre mix-up over his contract situation. After a brief pre-season

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6/5/06 - Students battle to no avail

WORCESTERSHIRE'S bowlers made heavy weather of dismissing the Bradford/Leeds UCCE students on the final day of the match at Harrogate. The university side were eventually bowled out for 279, which handed the County a comfortable 250-run win, but the victory

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Northampton Saints 6 Worcester Warriors 17

Saturday, November 20, 2004 WORCESTER finished last weekend looking utterly bereft of hope at the bottom of the Premiership. This was some turnaround at Franklin's Gardens. The Warriors gloriously secured their first Premiership victory away from Sixways

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Brive 40 Worcester Warriors 10

Saturday, October 30, 2004 WORCESTER Warriors' first venture into European cup rugby ended in defeat at French club Brive on Saturday night. The conditions at Sixways for the first leg saw the Warriors play the forward game but with the French club making

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2/5/06 - Credit to Lancashire after C&G home loss

THE STEVE RHODES COLUMN I THINK Lancashire played really well at New Road yesterday -- they got off to a solid start and, to their credit, they built a good base and capitalised on that towards the end. They kept wickets in hand and if someone like Stuart

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1/5/06 - Better times ahead: Smith

WORCESTERSHIRE'S most prolific batman last season, Ben Smith, is hoping the County can provide a much-improved campaign this time around. Former captain Smith admits there was a fair amount of disharmony in the dressing room last year as well as a distinct

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Worcester Warriors 33 Harlequins 7

Saturday, October 2, 2004 IF this was a relegation ding-dong then only one team lived up to the billing. Worcester simply had too much quality for Quins and if their coach Mark Evans couldn't see this crisis coming, he knows he's in deep trouble now.

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Sale 57 Worcester Warriors 3

Friday, September 24, 2004 JOHN Brain admitted that Worcester Warriors were handed a "drubbing" by Sale Sharks last night. The Sixways director of rugby saw his Premiership new boys ripped apart as Worcester went down to the biggest top flight defeat

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29/4/06 - County batting collapse

WORCESTERSHIRE'S second poor batting performance in two days condemned them to a heavy 227-run defeat at the hands of Somerset, despite Zaheer Khan claiming 10 wickets on his Championship debut -- the first County player to do so in more than 100 years

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Saracens 16 Worcester Warriors 10

Sunday, September 12, 2004 ANYONE questioning Worcester's Premiership right will surely now have to think again. Saracens -- a side brimming with confidence after last week's Wasps victory -- were made to look distinctly ordinary on their own patch yesterday

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28/4/06 - Wickets tumble in crazy cricket

ON a strange day at New Road, which saw 17 wickets fall, Worcestershire crumbled to 161 all out before their bowlers staged a spirited fightback to reduce Somerset to 97-7 at the close -- a lead of 342 runs. Despite the impressive bowling effort -- spearheaded

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Coventry 18 Worcester Warriors 57

Saturday, April 10, 2004 IT was a day for old certainties and future possibilities at Coundon Road. With the champagne celebrations of last weekend now merely a memento of the past, the focus has switched towards Worcester's ammunition for next season's

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27/4/06 - Trego returns with impressive display

FORMER Worcestershire and Herefordshire cricketer Peter Trego smashed an impressive half-century to boost Somerset at New Road. It was a different story to the last time he wowed an audience in Worcester -- a December FA Cup tie at St George's Lane. Trego

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26/4/06 - Worcs wait on Solanki verdict

CAPTAIN Vikram Solanki is rated at 60-40 in favour of being fit for today's Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division Two match at New Road -- according to director of cricket Steve Rhodes. Vice-captain Gareth Batty took charge of the team for the

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Worcester Warriors 68 Bristol Shoguns 15

Saturday, April 3, 2004 IN an instant the ghosts of the past were laid to rest. Referee Geraint Ashton-Jones blew the final whistle and Sixways stood to acclaim its heroes. Worcester were champions and only a step away from the Premiership. The formalities

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25/4/06 - Pre-season training soon pays dividends

THE STEVE RHODES COLUMN WE'VE worked particularly hard this pre-season on our general fitness and fielding and that was really in evidence in the C&G game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Two wickets came from quality run-outs and we fielded

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Worcester Warriors 38 Plymouth Albion 13

Saturday, March 13, 2004 SOFT touches? Not a bit of it. Worcester took everything that National One's most physical outfit could throw at them and returned it with interest as they re-wrote the record books. Twenty-two successive victories at league level

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7/2/06 - Donovan praises support for Trophy final heroes

WORCESTER Wolves director of basketball Mick Donovan has heaped praise on the army of travelling fans who cheered his side to victory in the Trophy final. Around 300 passionate Wolves supporters made the trip to the Coventry Skydome to roar their heroes

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6/2/06 - Wolves howl with delight

JOSH Cooprider praised his players' work ethic after Worcester Wolves lifted the first piece of major silverware in their brief history. Wolves, who were formed just six years ago, beat City of Sheffield Arrows 97-82 at the Coventry Skydome yesterday

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3/2/06 - Wolves beat basket poser

WORCESTER Wolves director of basketball Mick Donovan has paid tribute to the University of Worcester facilities team who have worked tirelessly to repair electrical problems that were threatening to ruin his side's preparations for Sunday's massive National

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20/4/06 - County facing another overseas setback

WORCESTERSHIRE are facing the prospect of being without star overseas batsman Phil Jaques for up to a month in the middle of the season. There is a likelihood Jaques will be included in the Australia 'A' side that will be involved in the Top End Series

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Worcester Warriors 74 Manchester 8

Saturday, February 7, 2004 IN professional sport, it is an entirely natural state of affairs to be playing for your future. In a cut-throat environment it simply comes with the territory. At Worcester, however, the situation is likely to become acute

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17/1/06 - History in making for Wolves

REACHING the final of the National Trophy is the biggest achievement in Worcester Wolves' history, according to director of basketball Mick Donovan. Despite losing 88-74 to London United at University of Worcester on Sunday, Wolves went through to the

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12/1/06 - Collins in doubt for Wolves key tests

INFLUENTIAL point-guard Matt Collins is a major doubt for Worcester Wolves' big weekend of action. Wolves could face Sunday's National Trophy semi-final second leg against London United at the University of Worcester (2.30) without Collins who has a suspected

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23/5/06 - Bulls glory pointing the way for City hopes

HANDS up -- how many Worcester City supporters mistook their own team for those battling against Hereford United in Saturday's Conference play-off final? Same kit, same blue and white colours. Top-to-toe, Halifax Town were decked out like City -- except

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12/4/06 - Zaheer set for Worcs debut

ZAHEER Khan is set to make his Worcestershire bow in a 50-over pre-season match against Warwickshire at New Road tomorrow. The Indian left-arm seamer does not arrive in Worcester until later today, but director of cricket Steve Rhodes is confident his

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Worcester Warriors 43 Bedford 5

Saturday, January 24, 2004 THE feel-good factor continues at Sixways. A comprehensive victory over Bedford Blues on an afternoon enriched by title rivals Orrell stumbling once again. There hasn't been a better time to be a Worcester supporter. Eleven

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Wolves off to Essex

ESSEX Leopards stand between Worcester Wolves and an appearance at the National Indoor Arena. Wolves have been drawn at their England Basketball League Division One rivals in the semi-finals of the National Cup on Saturday, November 19. Josh Cooprider's

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16/5/06 - Wedgbury is living dream

IT is no surprise that Sam Wedgbury finds it tough explaining away his last 12 whirlwind months. The transformation of youngster without a club to Premier League footballer is a story few can tell. But Wedgbury has, to coin a clich, 'lived the dream'

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9/5/06 - City's youth plan paying dividends

THE image and success of Worcester City's youth development scheme has never been better. Five of City's academy stars, Gary Walker, Troy Wood, Dale Watkins, Nat Bulmer and Ben Walker, were offered first-team deals for next season. Striker Wood and midfielders

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11/4/06 - Worcs warm-up gathering pace

WORCESTERSHIRE were due to continue their pre-season today with a 50-over match at Glamorgan before taking on Warwickshire in another one-day game on Thursday. Admission to New Road for the Warwickshire game is free and the club is hoping to get a good

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27/10/05 - Fine draw for Wolves

WORCESTER Wolves have been handed a favourable draw in the semi-finals of the National Trophy. Josh Cooprider's side, still unbeaten this season, have been paired with London United in the last four, but have the advantage of playing the second leg at

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25/4/06 - Captain marvel lands a double

IT only took Des Lyttle 15 years to add the Worcester City Players' Player of the Year award to his earlier Young Player of the Year accolade! Being able to place both gongs on the mantelpiece is no mean feat for Lyttle, City's own captain marvel, considering

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Augulis leaves after six weeks

LITHUANIAN power forward Paulius Augulis has been axed by Worcester Wolves after little more than six weeks with the club. Augulis joined Wolves at the end of August along with fellow countryman Valdas Urbonavicius, but has failed to make an impact with

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Worcester Warriors 38 Otley 3

Saturday, January 10, 2004 THE legendary British wrestler Big Daddy was born just down the road from Otley in West Yorkshire. Maybe they are celebrating his memory or possibly campaigning for the sport's comeback in Britain. Whatever the motives, Otley

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6/4/06 - County bowlers suffer

WORCESTERSHIRE suffered a heavy 183-run defeat in their second warm-up game of the season against Essex at Chelmsford yesterday. Essex smashed the County attack to all corners as they piled up 317-5 from their 50 overs. Ben Phillips was the star for the

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1/10/05 - Wolves aiming to turn on style

WORCESTER Wolves are hoping tonight's National Trophy home clash with Coventry Crusaders (7pm) will give them a chance to justify some big summer decisions. Major changes in coaching staff and playing personnel took place during the close season as Wolves

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24/9/05 - Wolves ace has to wait in wings

SHOOTING guard Andrew Harper will get his first taste of a Worcester Wolves basketball match from the sidelines tomorrow. Wolves' new American signing arrived in the Faithful City earlier this week but was told in advance by head coach Josh Cooprider

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Worcester Warriors 37 Exeter Chiefs 14

Saturday, November 22, 2003 TWELVE months ago Craig Gillies was struggling to establish himself as a first team regular at Sixways. These days, he's the first name on the team-sheet. The giant lock has made himself indispensable to Worcester and, under

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10/9/05 - Wolves working overtime on visa

WORCESTER Wolves officials are working around the clock in an effort to be at full strength for their first match of the new season. Wolves take on Solent Stars in the National Trophy at the University of Worcester next Saturday (7pm). But they face a

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5/4/06 - Veteran back in the old routine

GRAEME Hick struck 71 runs but Worcestershire were beaten by Essex in an entertaining start to the pre-season campaign at Chelmsford yesterday. Hick was well backed up by youngsters Stephen Moore (67) and Daryl Mitchell (44) in the County's total of 251

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3/9/05 - Wolves parade new signings

WORCESTER Wolves' two new Lithuanian recruits get their first run-outs for the team in a pre-season friendly tomorrow (4pm). Valdas Urbonavicius and Paulius Augulis are both included for the warm-up game against East Kent Crusaders from England Basketball

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5/4/06 - Davies in MCC line-up for Lord's

PROMISING Steven Davies has been selected to play for the MCC against reigning county champions Nottinghamshire in the cricket season's annual curtain-raiser at Lord's. Davies, Worcestershire's wicketkeeper-batsman who received an England 'A' call-up

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16/8/05 - Wolves suffer double player blow

WORCESTER Wolves have had their pre-season plans thrown into disarray with a double body blow. The University College Worcester club have been rattled by the news recent signing Mark White has fractured an ankle, while at the same time learning forward

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28/3/06 - County step in to sign Zaheer

ZAHEER Khan, the Indian left-arm fast bowler, has been announced as Nathan Bracken's replacement after the Australian opted out of his Worcestershire contract. Following a successful domestic season and regular selection for Australia over the last six

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Wakefield 18 Worcester Warriors 17

Saturday, November 1, 2003 THE validity of English rugby's premier cup competition was questioned once again as Worcester bowed out. The Warriors, having fielded a second string side at College Grove, expectedly crashed out of the Powergen Cup at the

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30/7/05 - Chiverton decides to stay with Wolves

WORCESTER Wolves have further underlined their intention to repeat last season's success after convincing small forward Colin Chiverton to stay with the club. Wolves reached the end-of-season play-off semi-finals in their first term in the top flight

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23/3/06 - Hick is 21 not out for Worcs

WORCESTERSHIRE'S players reported back for the first day of pre-season training yesterday and veteran batsman Graeme Hick is eagerly anticipating the start of his 21st season at New Road. He said: "When you start back in pre-season training you start

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Worcester Warriors 46 Wakefield 15

Saturday, October 25, 2003 SPORT can, of course, be a workable enough metaphor for life itself. So it wasn't that surprising that Worcester left the field disappointed on Saturday despite such a comfortable victory. It was a timely reminder that sport

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Worcester Warriors 33 Exeter Chiefs 27

Saturday, October 18, 2003 IT was difficult to assess just who were the real winners on Saturday. Ultimately, Worcester enjoyed the numerical advantage but it was Exeter who went away from Sixways buoyant from their minor recovery. The Warriors will now

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25/6/05 - Polish test for UCW players

UNIVERSITY College Worcester's basketball team jet out to Poland tomorrow in a bid to be crowned European champions. The team, representing Great Britain, will be one of 12 university teams in action in Gorzow next week as the continent's top students

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28/2/06 - County trio fail to save 'A' side

WORCESTERSHIRE trio Vikram Solanki, Gareth Batty and Kabir Ali could not prevent an England 'A' defeat. West Indies 'A' secured a sensational one-wicket victory as they successfully chased the 365 needed to win on the final day of the first Test in Antigua

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Manchester 3 Worcester Warriors 56

Saturday, October 11, 2003 WORCESTER produced a masterclass last time around at Grove Park. After another lesson, Manchester must be sick of the sight of them. The Warriors were just too good in all departments for the bottom of the table side as they

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23/2/06 - Worcestershire claim for Ashes dividend

WORCESTERSHIRE chairman John Elliot has written to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on behalf of the New Road club, requesting a dividend pay-out for all county cricket clubs that do not host Test matches. This summer's Ashes triumph saw unprecedented

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Worcester Warriors 59 Harrogate 0

Saturday, October 4, 2003 JAMES Brown offered us one of the more fascinating sub-plots last season at Sixways. On Saturday, the fly half proved he's about to add a new twist to the tale. Worcester eased past Harrogate and into the fourth round of the

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22/2/06 - Century for Solanki

WORCESTERSHIRE'S Vikram Solanki completed a century as England 'A' defeated Antigua and Barbuda by 262 runs with 3.1 overs to spare on the third and final day of the tour match at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Set 426 to win, England's bowlers ripped

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Worcester Warriors 40 Orrell 14

Saturday, September 13, 2003 THE emotional scars of April 12 were finally healed by a thunderous restoration of old values at Sixways. Memories of Worcester's apocalyptic defeat to Rotherham -- in their final National One home game five months ago --

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19/2/05 - Wolves pride is at stake

WORCESTER Wolves take on England Basketball League Division One leaders City of Sheffield Arrows tonight (7pm) with both pride and points on the line. And although Wolves director of basketball Mick Donovan knows the Yorkshire side will be tough to beat

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25/1/06 - County youngsters are put through their paces

SOME of the brightest cricketing prospects in the county have spent the winter training hard with Worcestershire's academy and now they have their sights set on making the grade and breaking into the first team. New Road director of cricket Steve Rhodes

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Otley 20 Worcester Warriors 26

Saturday, September 6, 2003 DISGRACEFUL and inept. Not my assessment of the carnage on show at Cross Green but rather John Brain's. Worcester's director of rugby was fuming at the complacency which came within a whisker of inflicting an opening day defeat

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17/2/05 - Shaw lines up Australian adventure

WORCESTER Wolves forward Ty Shaw is off Down Under after being signed up by the Cockburn Cougars. Six foot eight Shaw has agreed a deal with the Perth outfit, who play at a higher level than Wolves, but will not be joining them until the England Basketball

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7/3/06 - Stanley deserves change of fortune

BAD luck has followed Jai Stanley throughout his Worcester City career. Ever since John Barton splashed out a club record £10,000 for his services in December 2003, good fortune hasn't quite shone on the shaggy-haired one. Not once, twice, but three times

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28/2/06 - Mean City defence is sparkling

WORCESTER City's colossal three-man defence deserves every plaudit thrown their way. At the moment, breaking down the rear-guard of Chris Smith, Justin Thompson and Des Lyttle is akin to unlocking Fort Knox. Teams up and down Nationwide North, including

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6/1/06 - Jones misses U19 cup

WORCESTERSHIRE'S talented youngster Richard Jones has been forced to withdraw from England's Under 19 World Cup cricket squad. Jones, a bowling all-rounder, was due to travel to Sri Lanka in February but has suffered throughout the winter with a back

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4/5/06 - Dynamic duo's winning finale

IT was great to get a win on Saturday and I think the first-half was some of the best rugby we have played all year. Certainly, when we got the ball in hand we looked pretty dangerous. Our set-piece didn't quite function but hopefully we can get both

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7/2/06 - More stars can follow Sam's path

SAM Wedgbury's dream move to Sheffield United is a remarkable success story for Worcester City and the 16-year-old. Now we've witnessed Wedgbury's rapid rise from unknown academy hopeful to Sheffield scholar, do not be surprised if more City starlets

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Thumbs-up for City's attack plan

WORCESTER City's three-prong forward approach -- fast becoming commonplace at St George's Lane -- has received the thumbs up from Adam Webster. Manager Andy Preece has gone offensive-minded in City's previous home fixtures by selecting three in attack

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24/1/06 - Danks task made easier by old faces

SOME people have never heard of the Faroe Islands -- let alone pin-point it's location on an atlas. Of course, football aficionados are aware of the Faroes national team, especially since it held Berti Vogts' Scotland to a surprise 2-2 draw in a European

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17/1/06 - Youth poser for City boss

IT was a brave move by Andy Preece to pin his faith in youth at Crawley -- but a correct move nonetheless. For the first time this season, Preece boldly selected three players educated at Worcester City's successful academy, Shabir Khan and Liam McDonald

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10/1/06 - Kettering set to put City deals in shade

FINANCIAL haves and have-nots exist at every level of football -- from the Premiership to non-league's lower echelons. And at St George's Lane last Saturday, the fiscal disparity among Nationwide North clubs was unravelled. On the one hand, money-tight

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11/11/05 - Worcestershire's 2006 fixture list

WORCESTERSHIRE'S 2006 fixtures include matches against two touring sides, including former director of cricket Tom Moody's Sri Lanka at the beginning of May. Former New Road left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas and his Sri Lankan team mates will face the rising

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9/11/05 - Shahid wins New Road scholarship

NINETEEN-year-old Faisal Sha-hid has been awarded a scholarship with Worcestershire for the 2006 season. Shahid, from Smethwick, was a graduate of Worcestershire's Cricket Academy in 2004 and plays for Halesowen in the Birmingham League. He has also played

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16/3/06 - Frustration is over and I'm raring to go

I AM ready and raring to go after the specialist gave me the all-clear at the weekend. It has been very frustrating for the last few weeks but it is nice to have something to look forward to again. And it was great to get a win against Wasps on Friday

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13/12/05 - Mystery of vanishing supporters

JUST where were all Worcester City's supporters on Saturday? Christmas shopping? At Worcester Warriors? That can be the only conclusion to City's dismal attendance of 806 -- their third lowest league gate of the season. It was an embarrassing turn-out

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8/11/05 - Reward for legend

WORCESTERSHIRE great Graeme Hick has been awarded a testimonial year in 2006 by the club. Hick, 39, joint ninth in the all-time list of first-class centurions and just two centuries away from scoring 100 hundreds for the County alone, has spent his 21

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9/3/06 - Frustration is the name of the game

IT is hard to express how frustrating it is to miss out on tomorrow's match against Wasps. I have got to see a specialist about my back and I am not too sure whether my return is just around the corner or not. I've just got to keep my hopes up and see

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13/12/05 - Time to give Troy chance

LEON Kelly is a handful for defenders, that much is true. Nobody enjoys the role of shackling City's steamroller. All power and strength, Kelly knocks opponents to the ground better than Mike Tyson in his pomp. Running at defenders and frightening them

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23/2/06 - Tykes always prove tough nut to crack

I THINK the lads acquitted themselves well at Welford Road but we are not about to be satisfied with going away and losing. Leicester is always a very difficult place to go and play but the desire was there, which is what you look for every time you play

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22/11/05 - City going worldwide on the box

NOT only are Worcester City's FA Cup heroes the future star attraction to millions of BBC TV viewers -- they are going global-wide too. In almost all four corners of the world, sports channels are paying up to screen live coverage of City's second round

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27/10/05 - Bracken wins call-up

AUSTRALIA have drafted Worcestershire's new left-arm fast bowler Nathan Bracken into their squad for the opening Test against the West Indies, which starts in Brisbane next Thursday. The 28-year-old New South Wales paceman, who has played three Tests,

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16/2/06 - Tigers test will be our toughest

TIGERS away is probably the toughest game of the year in terms of the side they have got and the venue -- and it won't be any different tomorrow. We proved that we could beat them at Sixways in November but Leicester on their own ground is a different

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6/4/06 - Football fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hallow WMC v Powick (B Taylor); Hanley Swan v Welland Athletic (K Ruff); Lamb & Flag v Tolladine Sports (P Roberts); Pershore Manor Rovers v Martley Spurs (N Canning). Division One: Bromsgrove

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15/11/05 - Tide begins to turn for City in goal department

PATHETIC is a strong word. But that is what Andy Preece chose to describe Worcester City's Nationwide North goal return before the demolition of Hednesford Town. Preece wore a broad grin after City pummelled the Pitmen 6-2 at St George's Lane, primarily

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25/10/05 - Owzat for Illingworth!

FORMER Worcestershire spinner Richard Illingworth is one of four new officials appointed to the full list of first class cricket umpires. The other three are former North-amptonshire and England batsman Rob Bailey, Richard Kettleborough and Neil Bainton

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9/2/06 - Back injury improving all the time

LIFE has started to get a bit easier this week and the pain in my back is starting to disappear. It is fairly minor now and I have just started doing a bit of training. In a few days time, I can do some proper training. It is a question of getting it

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16/3/06 - Weekend fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hanley Swan v Martley (J Wynne); Lamb & Flag v Powick (M Stephens); Tolladine Sports v Pershore Manor Rovers (N Jeynes); Hallow v Welland (R Fisher). Division One: Bromsgrove Corinthians v West

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19/10/05 - Rhodes targets bright new era

STEVE Rhodes is confident of bringing the good times back to Worcestershire after being appointed director of cricket. The former New Road wicket-keeper was handed the top job following a testing five-month stint as head coach. That short spell proved

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2/2/06 - Weekend county football fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Lamb & Flag v Welland Athletic (R Fisher); Powick v Pershore Manor Rovers (P Daffin). Baylis Cup: Hallow WMC v Hanley Swan (P Harding); Martley Spurs v Tolladine Sports (J Wynne). Phipps Cup

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19/1/06 - Weekend county football fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hallow WMC v Lamb & Flag (M Bullock); Hanley Swan v Tolladine Sports (N Canning); Pershore Manor Rovers v Martley Spurs (J Williams); Powick v Welland Athletic (N Jeynes). Division One: Goodrest

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12/1/06 - Match day sparks injury frustrations

I ABSOLUTELY hate not being able to play rugby! It really does my head in sitting on the sidelines, especially for really close games like the one last weekend. It's not the first injury I've had and you would think I would be used to it by now but you

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5/1/06 - Weekend county football fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hanley Swan v Welland Athletic (C Husband); Lamb & Flag v Pershore Manor Rovers (B Nyatanga); Powick v Hallow WMC (J Wynne); Tolladine Sports v Martley Spurs (P Fowler). Division One: Inkberrow

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18/10/05 - Stanley boss taking nothing for granted

IN a small corner of East Lancashire this Saturday, local folk are sure to feel a worrying shudder if Andy Preece steps onto the pitch. Because 10 months ago, City's player-manager savoured a 'super-sub' afternoon to remember at Accrington Stanley's Interlink

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11/10/05 - Bracken completes his County move

WORCESTERSHIRE have completed the signing of Aussie left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken, as revealed exclusively by the Worcester News last week. The 28-year-old New South Wales opening bowler confirmed he had accepted personal terms with the County for a

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5/1/06 - We can get over this tough time

IT has been a hard couple of weeks for everyone at the club -- but I think the guys have been a little bit unlucky with the results. We could have won any one of the last three games but we've ended up losing all three. There have been a couple of little

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8/12/05 - All the county soccer fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hallow WMC v Powick (K Ruff); Martley Spurs v Lamb & Flag (J Wynne); Pershore Manor Rovers v Welland Athletic (R Fisher); Tolladine Sports v Hanley Swan (P Roberts). Division One: Inkberrow

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11/10/05 - City bid to transfer FA Cup goals to league

YOU would think that goals come easy for Worcester City -- at least when it comes to the FA Cup. For, in their last two encounters in the world's greatest knockout competition, Andy Preece's men have found the net no fewer than 10 times. City demolished

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17/11/05 - Weekend soccer fixtures around county

SATURDAY WORCESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hallow WMC v Pershore Manor Rovers (B Nyatanga); Martley Spurs v Powick (N Jeynes); Tolladine Sports v Lamb & Flag (K Ruff); Welland Athletic v Hanley Swan (W Cowell). Division One: Bromsgrove

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4/10/05 - England's matches hurting little clubs

KICK-OFF times are becoming more and more erratic with each passing week. Last Sunday, we had the earliest ever kick-off in Premiership history, an 11.15am start between Manchester City and Everton. The North West derby at the City of Manchester Stadium

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6/10/05 - Price paying dividends on and off pitch

WORCESTERSHIRE may be thousands of miles from his native Zimbabwe -- but Ray Price is settled and loving life in his adopted county. Spinner Price enjoyed a fruitful first full season at New Road -- earning the one-day player of the year award -- and

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14/9/05 - Let's fight on despite injury woe

THERE could not be a worse time for an injury jinx at Worcester City -- but we must deal with it rather than moan about it. Injuries happen at every club, although I was slightly lucky last season as there were very few problems during the league run-in

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4/10/05 - Bracken 'yes' to County contract

AUSTRALIAN left-arm seamer Na-than Bracken is expected to be announced as Worcestershire's first overseas signing for 2006 before the end of the week. The 28-year-old, who has regained his Cricket Australia contract for 2005-06, says he has accepted personal

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10/11/05 - Weekend soccer fixtures around county

SATURDAY WORCESTER & DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hallow WMC v Lamb & Flag (P Harding); Martley Spurs v Welland Athletic (P Roberts); Powick v Tolladine Sports (M Stephens); Pershore Manor Rovers v Hanley Swan (C Husband). Division One: Bromsgrove

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3/11/05 - Weekend sports fixtures around county

SATURDAY WORCESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Hanley Swan v Pershore Manor Rovers (M Stephens); Welland Athletic v Hallow WMC (P Daffin). Division One: Bromsgrove Corinthians v VBL Sports (N Jeynes); Pershore Manor Res v Goodrest Sports (R

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6/9/05 - Defeat may spark more surgery for City squad

IN some strange twisted logic, Harrogate Town may have done Andy Preece a timely favour by dishing out Worcester City's biggest hiding in almost two years. Because, after the club's unpalatable run of results, changes must now be made to stop City's season

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1/10/05 - Teenage duo sign for County

STUART Wedge and Richard Jones have signed contracts with Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Nineteen-year-old Wedge made his Frizzell County Championship debut against Essex in the last game of the 2005 season, returning figures of 5-112. County head

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Thursday, November 30 - It's great to return to a top-form club

IT is good to be back home again! Being with England for the last month has been a great experience but I missed the lads, missed the craic and missed the club. You are in quite an enclosed environment at Pennyhil and it has been mentally quite tough.

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23/8/05 - Defenders are leading City charge

ON the progress report, Worcester City's midfield and attack are yet to receive a tick in the box. Both areas have been at pains to function in City's first three Nationwide North games. Whether it's down to misfiring individual performances or a symptom

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24/11/05 - England adventure fires league longing

PLAYING for England in their last two matches has been a lot of fun and I've really enjoyed both occasions. Everyone expects you to be nervous and worried but it's just really exciting. They are a good set of lads and it's been almost like having a break

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16/8/05 - Experience the key to Hyde's role as captain

AMIDST Christian Moore's revenge double, Les Hines' bloody broken nose and the plethora of debuts, another statistic almost went unnoticed at Kettering. Graham Hyde was handed the Worcester City captaincy -- an almost inevitable decision with limited

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27/9/05 - Solanki reflects on tough start

VIKRAM Solanki believes a gruelling first season as Worcestershire captain will stand him in good stead for 2006. The England one-day international batsman replaced Ben Smith as County skipper and revealed his own campaign had been "tough." He oversaw

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10/3/05 - Weekend soccer fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Goodrest Sports v Pershore Manor Rvrs (S Albutt); Martley Spurs v Lamb & Flag (T Phillips); Tolladine Sports v All Blacks (C Husband). Division One: Fernhill Heath Spurs v Kempsey (K Ruff);

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9/8/05 - Optimism is high ahead of campaign

WE'VE witnessed the triumphant return of Des Lyttle, the emotional loss of King Carl Heeley and the pre-season warm-ups. Now, the serious business of league football is back for Worcester City along with the usual dose of high expectation. Once again,

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24/2/05 - Weekend county football fixtures

SATURDAY WORCESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Premier Division: Pershore Manor Rvrs v Perrywoods (P Daffin); Goodrest Sports v All Blacks (T Phillips); Tolladine Sports v Martley Spurs (A White); Welland Athletic v lamb & Flag (R Fisher). Division One: Hanley

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7/5/04 - Weekend county football fixtures

TOMORROW WORCESTER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE Phipps Cup final: Pershore Manor Rovers v Welland Athletic (at Worcester City FC, 2pm). KIDDERMINSTER LEAGUE Premier Division: Wollescote Sports v Areley Kings. Division One: Cookley Celtic v Bewdley Rovers; George

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27/10/05 - High fitness levels start to pay off for Warriors

THE guys have been working really hard this season and we are now starting to see the benefits. The fitness coach Phil Rich-ards has done a really good job with the lads. We've got through a lot in the last few weeks and we've come through it. Fitness

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MP Luff's fury at twisted tale

TORY MP Peter Luff has spoken of his surprise after excerpts of a speech he made to party activists was turned into a story knocking the Conservatives by a pro -Labour Party national newspaper. The Mid-Worcestershire MP's comments at the election of Harriet

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6/10/05 - A bad time to be away from home

I AM very pleased to be involved with England this week but it's the worst possible time to be away from the lads. After two defeats on the bounce, I desperately want to be there with the boys. That's what our team is based on at Worcester. But it's out

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Funeral of former city councillor

THE funeral of Patrick Desmond, a retired Worcester solicitor, former city councillor, school governor and musician, is due to take place today. Mr Desmond, aged 88, of Windmill Close, Barbourne, died on Wednesday, July 19, from a liver tumour. His son

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22/9/05 - Consistency must be name of game

SATURDAY was a great day but there is still much more to come from us. Results-wise we are where we want to be. But we've still got a few steps to make in terms of performance. We just need to keep our feet on the ground at the moment. We haven't really

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We've had our say on retiring

RESIDENTS in the two counties have a chance to re-invent retirement by taking part in the biggest ever survey on the subject. More than 11 million copies of the Have Your Say questionnaire have been distributed across the UK by Heyday to get people to

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15/9/05 - Brothers face to face at Sixways

SARACENS are in town on Saturday and it will be great to come up against my brother Alex. First and foremost my brother is my best mate. We are a close family and he and I are very close. We speak most days and we are always encouraging each other. It's

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TRAIN FARE DODGERS NAMED AND SHAMED

TRAIN fare dodgers from Worcestershire have been named and shamed and in some cases have been ordered to pay more than 90 times what their tickets would have cost. Six people were caught without a valid ticket and were ordered to pay a total of £1,066.90

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Rise in gas prices could put elderly in jeopardy

PENSIONERS could suffer in the winter months after British Gas announced it would put up prices by as much as 12.4 per cent. Age Concern Herefordshire and Worcestershire has revealed it is worried that older people will turn off their gas and electric

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26/9/05 - Miserable County are relegated

WORCESTERSHIRE must prepare for a full season of Division Two cricket next year after crashing pitifully to Lancashire in their totesport League relegation decider yesterday. The Royals were condemned to the drop -- and allowed their red rose county visitors

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26/9/05 - Spinner Batty looks to unleash weapon

THERE'S the flipper, the zooter and the slider. Gareth Batty is perfecting his own mystery ball -- the 'stuta' -- to leave opposing batsmen in knots. And Worcestershire's leading spinner hopes to soon unleash the delivery, that turns the other way from

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28/7/06 - Clubs lose international player row

WORCESTER Warriors' chances of hanging on to their skipper Pat Sanderson for the Premiership trip to Leicester in November have suffered a setback after the High Court ruled clubs must release players for England's game with New Zealand on the corresponding

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26/9/05 - Centurion Hick brings poor run to conclusion

GRAEME Hick ended the worst run in his 21 years in English cricket with 107 from 96 balls as Worcestershire narrowly failed to reach a target of 352 in 60 overs in a draw with Essex at New Road. The 39-year-old former England batsman had gone 17 innings

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14/4/05 - Job still not done despite great win

WHEN we came back down to earth following Newcastle, there was one stark realisation. The job wasn't done. It was a pity that the four points won at Kingston Park weren't enough to seal our Premiership place for next season because it was a great place

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24/9/05 - Big drop looms if County lose

GARETH Batty insists Worcestershire owe it to the club's suffering supporters to beat Lancashire in tomorrow's do-or-die relegation New Road decider. The totesport League showdown is hugely consequential for both counties, with the winners preserving

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24/9/05 - Moore and Smith answer critics

WORCESTERSHIRE batsmen Stephen Moore and Ben Smith continued their demolition of an under-powered Essex attack on a rain-shortened third day in the last Frizzell County Championship fixture of the season at New Road. The fourth wicket pair extended their

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31/3/05 - Apology instead of Premier points

POST match press conferences are never the best time to vent your feelings about referees. Emotions are running high and it is always an easy excuse to blame the officials in the face of defeat. So, straight after our 19-18 loss to Saracens on Saturday

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23/9/05 - Rain delays Moore and Smith run revival

WORCESTERSHIRE opener Ste-phen Moore was putting the finishing touches to his best season with an undefeated 124 in a Frizzell County Championship rearguard action against Essex at New Road. But rain prevented any play before lunch today as the County

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21/9/05 - County ace in England pledge

GARETH Batty has vowed to win back his England Test place after being discarded for the winter tour to Pakistan. The Worcestershire off-spinner was snubbed from the 17-man party that heads to the subcontinent next month. Hampshire veteran Shaun Udal and

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3/3/05 - A step nearer to that safety mark

WE took another step towards safety on Friday evening. The victory over Sale illustrated, to a nationwide audience, just how we are developing as a team as we moved further away from the drop zone. We were 10 points clear on Friday night although Northampton's

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22/6/06 - Six Worcester players in national elite squad

SIX Worcester players have been called up for England's final trial match before the Women's Rugby World Cup squad is chosen. Head coach Geoff Richards has chosen 45 players for the England elite squad, which will be whittled down to 26 for the World

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17/2/05 - Fantastic four set for Stoop return

WE return to a place I know pretty well on Saturday. Having had spells at Quins as assistant coach, head coach and director of rugby, it's a club I've spent a fair bit of time at in the past. It was one of the games I first looked at when the fixture

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21/9/05 - County forced to ring changes

A WEAKENED Worcestershire were on the back foot in their Frizzell County Championship Division Two fixture against Essex today. The visitors showed plenty of attacking purpose at New Road to reach 133-2 from 31 overs just before lunch. Opener Will Jefferson

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21/6/06 - International battle for duo

WORCESTER lock Richard Blaze takes on Welsh house-mate Craig Everitt today with more than bragging rights at stake at the Under 21 World Championships. The Warriors duo are the best of friends off the pitch but there will be no love lost on it when England

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19/9/05 - Batty misses out on tour selection

WORCESTERSHIRE off-spinner Gareth Batty has been snubbed from England's winter touring party to Pakistan. The England selectors in-stead plumped for Warwickshire's Alex Loudon and Hampshire veteran Shaun Udal to join Ashley Giles in the 17-man Test squad's

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20/1/05 - Premier break hands us injury boost

THERE are critics of the rugby union structure in this country. However, our break from the Zurich Premiership has been invaluable for a number of key players. Touch wood, we're going to have a much healthier-looking squad to pick from when we come to

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19/9/05 - County in last match decider

WORCESTERSHIRE face a relegation showdown with Lancashire next week in an attempt to preserve their First Division status in the totesport League. This much became clear at Chelmsford last night after the Royals suffered a four-wicket defeat at the hands

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13/1/05 - The strange world of the Euro Shield

PEOPLE have asked me this week whether victory tomorrow night in Italy will give Worcester more problems in the longer term. It sounds barmy to describe winning a European tie as something which is essentially going to give you a headache. However, that's

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19/9/05 - County must learn from their mistakes

STEVE Rhodes looked back at Worcestershire's unsuccessful bid for promotion in the County Championship and declared: "We must learn from our mistakes." The County's hopes of returning to Division One at the first possible opportunity ended with the bleak

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6/1/05 - Winning mentality shines at Sixways

WE began the New Year in the best possible style as we overcame the Irish. Saturday's 16-6 win over London Irish was great for everybody involved at Sixways and more so because of what had been happening behind the scenes. If you consider that we'd prepared

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16/9/05 - Victory vital for County survival

STEVE Rhodes insists nothing less than victory over champions Essex will do as Worcestershire Royals battle to preserve their top-division status. The County head to fortress Chelmsford on Sunday with an unchan-ged side knowing their totesport League

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23/12/04 - Irish coach Gold knows true story

GARY Gold's reaction to London Irish's victory at Sixways was very interesting on Saturday evening. The Exiles' head coach said he was "dreading" returning to Worcester on New Year's Day for our Premiership clash. It's maybe not the reaction you would

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15/9/05 - Rhodes backing Batty tour call

GARETH Batty deserves to be picked for England's autumn tour to Pakistan, insists Worcestershire head coach Steve Rhodes. England's selectors are set to announce their travelling Test squad of 16 and one-day party of 15 next Monday. Most of the Test selections

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12/9/05 - Peters aiming to stay at New Road

STEPHEN Peters has made it clear -- he wants to stay at Wor-cestershire and did not ask for permission to contact rival counties. The 26-year-old opening batsman is upset at suggestions that he favours a move from New Road, insisting he intends to fight

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11/11/04 - No fireworks from us at the Madejski

SADLY we failed to light up the stadium at London Irish on Sunday as impressively as the Sixways staff did last weekend. The fireworks display at Worcester was magnificent on Guy Fawkes Night. It was just a pity that our performance, almost 48 hours later

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10/9/05 - County staring defeat in face

BAD light stopped play yesterday after Worcestershire set Yorkshire just 203 to win at Headingley in Frizzell County Championship Division Two. Yorkshire reached 89-2 by the close as the third day lost 64 overs to the weather with Anthony McGrath on 42

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3/11/04 - Euro experience will serve us well

OUR European adventure came to a shuddering halt on Saturday night when we left Brive thoroughly frustrated. The 40-10 defeat, which put us out of the European Challenge Cup, was so disappointing because we were left feeling as if we'd not done ourselves

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9/9/05 - Yorkshire put pressure on County batsmen

YORKSHIRE worked their way into a strong position after reducing Worcestershire to 126-4 before bad light stopped play with 27 overs left at Headingley yesterday. Rain further delayed the start of play today. A superb unbeaten 173 from Anthony McGrath

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7/9/05 - Hick slips again in Yorkshire

WORCESTERSHIRE lost three crucial wickets today in the opening session of their Frizzell County Championship promotion clash against Yorkshire. Openers Stephen Moore and Chris Gayle perished in their twenties at Headingley, while Graeme Hick continued

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23/9/04 - I have total faith in Sixways squad

SOMETIMES as a coach, you cannot win. You work out the tactics, develop them with the players and they used them to good effect in our match against Bath on Saturday. They played in the right areas, caused John Connolly's side numerous problems and really

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5/9/05 - Shoaib smashes County record

SHOAIB Akhtar steamrollered his way into the New Road record books yesterday as Worcestershire romped to an easy eight-wicket victory over fierce rivals Gloucestershire Gladiators. The Pakistani took 6-16 and produced a spell of world-class fast bowling

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16/9/04 - Delport return is key moment

ONE of the greatest aspects of my job is being able to work with class acts and we will see one in action on Saturday. Thinus Delport will start his first Worcester match when he plays against Bath at Sixways and I, for one, can't wait to see him out

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14/6/06 - Warriors snap up Argentinian star

WORCESTER Warriors have strengthened their midfield by signing Argentinian international centre Miguel Avra-movic on a one-year contract. The 25-year-old, who has been playing for the Alumni Rugby Club in Argentina, will join up with the Warriors in mid-July

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5/9/05 - County life taking the heat off Gayle

CHRIS Gayle is taking his mind off the on-going West Indies contract row by enjoying the serenity of Worcestershire life. The Jamaican all-rounder is still caught up in the dispute over endorsement contracts that led to his omission -- along with several

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9/9/04 - Andrew -- show us some respect!

LET'S get a few things straight. I desperately hate losing and anyone who knows me will testify to that. However, I've always believed that, if you are successful, you need to have the good grace to compliment the opposition for their part in the match

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13/6/06 - Blaze ready to take on the mighty All Blacks

WORCESTER Warriors Rich-ard Blaze has vowed to fight fire with fire when he takes on the mighty New Zealand today in this year's Under 21 World Championship. Giant second-row Blaze ca-me off the bench for the last half-hour of England's opening 34-8 win

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3/9/05 - County survive thanks to Smith

FORMER Leicestershire player Ben Smith denied his old club a third Frizzell County County Championship win of the season in a rearguard action for Worcestershire at New Road. The 33-year-old batsman stayed for 59 overs to make an unbeaten 87 and shared

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12/6/06 - Horstmann scores as Saxons ease home

ENGLAND Saxons head coach Jon Callard sent out a simple but effective message to his players ahead of today's 41-11 victory over Canada: "Don't end up on the cutting room floor." The Saxons bounced back from their opening Barclays Churchill Cup defeat

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1/9/05 - County battling to close the gap

WORCESTERSHIRE lost one wicket for the addition of 22 runs against Leicestershire at New Road today. Resuming on 177 for four, 228 behind the visitors' first innings total, Stephen Davies departed to David Masters after adding just four to his overnight

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6/6/06 - Horstmann enjoys taste of big time

WORCESTER'S Kai Horst-mann was left hungry for another taste of international rugby after Scotland ruined his England Saxons debut. The Worcester number eight was one of only a handful of Saxons players to distinguish themselves as England's Churchill

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31/8/05 - County suffer as runs pile up

WORCESTERSHIRE bowled out Leicestershire for 405 at New Road on the second day of their Frizzell County Championship clash. The County attack toiled for almost 90 minutes to mop up the tail, with Paul Nixon reaching 58 before he was the last man out,

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30/8/05 - Double fitness lift for County

WORCESTERSHIRE pair Gareth Bat-ty and Shoaib Akhtar were today passed fit to face Leicestershire in the Frizzell County Championship fixture at New Road. England spinner Batty was forced to withdraw from the County side that slumped to Lancashire in Blackpool

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2/6/06 - Warriors unveil £23m expansion

WORCESTER chairman Cecil Duckworth has announced plans to transform Warriors into "one of the best clubs in Europe" with a major ground expansion. The club are pouring £23m into increasing the capacity of Sixways to 13,200 after they secured a new three-year

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29/8/05 - County suffer defeat

LANCASHIRE claimed the 22 points they needed to move into second place of the Frizzell County Championship Division Two by completing a convincing innings win over Worcestershire at Blackpool. After taking 16 wickets on Saturday's third day, seven in

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26/8/05 - Law and Loye in seaside run glut

LANCASHIRE continued to pile on the runs today as the Frizzell Championship Division Two match with Worcestershire entered its second day at Blackpool. Resuming at 388-4, the Red Rose county took their score onto 423 when they lost Marcus North for 60

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25/8/05 - Peters given green light to quit Worcestershire

STEPHEN Peters could be exiting New Road after being given permission to talk to other counties. Although his contract runs out at the end of next summer, the 26-year-old opener is faced with looking for a fresh beginning following a poor season with

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2/6/06 - Sponsorship deal is huge for Warriors

THE expansion of Sixways into one of the country's biggest club grounds would not be possible without the backing of sponsor npower, according to chairman Cecil Duckworth. The Worcester-based energy suppliers agreed a new three-year 1.5million deal with

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2/6/06 - Big rugby city: Cecil

WARRIORS chief Cecil Duckworth believes Worcester is on the way to becoming a major rugby city. With the added capacity planned for Sixways, Duckworth hopes his club will provide enough excitement to rival West Country rivals Bath and Gloucester. "I think

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1/6/06 - Horstmann wins England starting role

WORCESTER'S Kai Horstmann will start for England Saxons as they begin their Barclays Churchill Cup defence against Scotland in Canada on Saturday. The versatile back-rower was only called up on Monday as a replacement for the injured James Forrester but

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31/5/06 - Warriors fly-half Drahm has played through pain barrier

JOHN Brain has revealed Warriors points machine Shane Drahm played through the pain barrier for much of last season. Drahm pulled out of England's Churchill Cup tour last week in order to allow scar tissue in his knee to heal and director of rugby Brain

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22/8/05 - County expect Gayle to produce

IS Chris Gayle the right man to help Worcestershire achieve their end-of-season objectives? Supporters certainly hope so. Following the innings and 56-run thrashing of Somerset in the Frizzell County Championship, promotion from Division Two is certainly

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20/8/05 - County back in the hunt: Rhodes

HEAD coach Steve Rhodes believes Worcestershire have revived their hopes of gaining promotion in the Frizzell County Championship following the innings and 56-run victory over Somerset at New Road. The win ended a desperate run of four successive Division

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27/5/06 - Sixways to stage Warriors opener

WORCESTER will kick off their 2006-2007 Guinness Premiership campaign at Sixways with a showdown against M5 rivals Bristol. Premier Rugby have again adopted the policy of staging a number of derbies on the opening day. Elsewhere, Gloucester take on Bath

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19/8/05 - County made to battle for win

WORCESTERSHIRE wrapped up the victory they needed to keep alive their Frizzell County Championship Division Two promotion hopes today. Somerset resumed on 220-8 in their second innings, needing an unlikely 158 runs to make the hosts bat for a second time

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26/5/06 - Pundits in good view of Windo

WORCESTER'S evergreen prop Tony Windo has capped an excellent season by being named in the Sky Dream Team. The 37-year-old was picked by Sky Sports pundits Stuart Barnes and Dewi Morris because of his role in Warriors' Premiership campaign. As well as

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18/8/05 - Pipe linked with move to Derby

WORCESTERSHIRE wicketkeeper James Pipe has been linked with a move out of New Road. The 27-year-old Yorkshireman is out of contract at the end of the current season and is believed to be wanted by rival county clubs. Derbyshire have been linked with Pipe

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25/5/06 - Warriors unveil plan

WORCESTER Warriors will next week reveal a plan to make Sixways "one of the finest rugby grounds in the country." The club have called a press conference next Thursday when chairman Cecil Duckworth will outline proposals to transform facilities at their

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17/8/05 - New Road chief looks forward to Gayle impact

CHRIS Gayle will make a whirlwind impact at Worcestershire, according to chief executive Mark Newton. The West Indian Test star checks in at New Road for his first stint in county cricket, replacing Zander de Bruyn who joins up with South Africa 'A' after

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16/8/05 - Gayle blows in to join County

WORCESTERSHIRE have swooped to sign world-class all-rounder Chris Gayle for the rest of the season. The elegant West Indian opener, one of a select band to have reached 300 runs in a Test match, arrives to replace Zander de Bruyn after next Monday's totesport