A RETURN fixture with Derbyshire so early in the season makes for a curiously lop-sided start to the season.

Worcestershire won't complain though if this week brings a similar result to the first encounter. Since that bright start there has been a distinct down-turn.

Particularly in the games with Lancashire and Middlesex close situations have not been closed out.

Strong sides, experienced sides finish off tight games, playing the pressure points better. In cricket that means beginnings and endings: first balls last balls, finishing a session up, starting the next one sharp.

The Lancashire game highlighted how important Gareth Batty is to Worcestershire's bowling game plan.

He exerts control and pressure even when not taking wickets and allows the seamers to be rotated and kept fresh.

Flintoff and Law targeted him; control and the game were soon lost as a result of a very deliberate and planned assault.

That Dave Wigley was injured and Kabir unwell did not help. It highlighted too the tightness of resources at New Road. There are effectively five front line quicks in the squad; three would normally play with two in reserve. Enough or cutting it a bit fine?

Guru Clive Woodward talks of essential non-essentials citing the difference between a Jason Robinson run in his first international when he was stopped and one in the World Cup when he was not.

The essential difference? England's new, shiny ungrippable shirts! But then Woodward works in a different world where if he wants to take three teams' worth of players to New Zealand no one argues.

County finances are not like that and judgements on squad size are very much part of modern cricket management.

Counties with non-test-match grounds such as New Road have requested from the ECB a degree of long-term security in line with the way that Test Match grounds are guaranteed Test Matches for up to a 20-year period.

Only with this can Counties invest for the future rather than adopting short-term quick fixes such as Kolpak players.

Derbyshire have invested in floodlights and an academy, positive steps for the future. However, for the time being their prospects rely heavily on their Aussie captain, Michael Di Venuto.

Worcestershire will be looking to knock him over cheaply twice as they relaunch their season.

Then on Sunday, East Midland rivals Nottinghamshire visit for the first one-day game of the season at New Road.

They too bring an overseas batsman as captain, Stephen Fleming, together with another overseas batter in David Hussey. Small wonder former New Road player, Anurag Singh, has been struggling for games.

Worcestershire's batting looks better balanced now with Zander de Bruyn in residence.

As a unit they will certainly want to bat better. However, like the bowling there are few reserves for the batting, unless David Leatherdale keeps pressing his case!