County's new pace man hopes to fulfil potential

The much-travelled 26-year-old believes the time is right for him to settle down and fulfil his potential at New Road.

"To the people who say I've been to a lot of counties well yes fair enough, but I haven't always given myself the best chance," he said.

"I think, though, people grow up at different rates and it's taken me a long time to believe in myself and my own ability.

"In professional sport if you don't believe then you haven't got a chance. It doesn't matter how much talent and ability you possess, you have to believe."

Six footer de la Pena's move to New Road represents his fifth association with a county club having previously been on the books of Gloucestershire, Surrey, Kent and Middlesex.

His arrived at Worcestershire comes after making a dramatic impact while playing in the County's final two Second Eleven Championship matches last season, claiming ten-wicket hauls against Essex at Ombersley and Hampshire at New Road.

In the game with Essex he took 4-36 and 6-67 and then followed up against Hants by claiming 6-52 and 4-69.

His eye-catching performances were good enough to earn him a contract for this season. And he thanked his new employers in the best possible way -- picking up another ten-wicket haul, this time in the three-day first-class fixture against Oxford University in The Parks.

After rocking the Students with a career-best 6-18, de la Pena kept up the pace with 4-34 in the second innings.

That display clinched him a place in Worcestershire's snow-hit Championship opener against Durham at the Riverside where he collected another couple of scalps.

Illness, however, ruled him out of the following Championship match against Surrey.

De la Pena, who was at Gloucestershire when New Road coach Bill Athey was there, is now anxious to make the most of his opportunities with Worcestershire particularly after his bitter disappointment at Kent last year.

"I played two first team matches for them and then they said they weren't going to sign me on," he said. "I was there on a trial basis and I felt I did pretty well in those games so I was disappointed to say the least.

"I think then I'd kind of said to myself 'I think that's it, it's time to call it a day'. But Damian D'Oliveira rang me up in August and said come and play the last two second team games. I took 20 wickets and was chuffed to bits by that.

"Dolly said 'obviously now with your performances, hopefully we can get you a contract'. But I went away to South Africa for the winter - which is where I've been for the last five winters - and the club got hold of me around the beginning of November and offered me a one-year contract which was fantastic."

De la Pena, who has also played for Banbury, wasted little time in highlighting his capabilities with ten wickets at Oxford, but after his appearance at Durham his progress suffered an unexpected setback and he missed out in the following rain-ruined draw with Surrey at New Road.

"The first two days were rained off and then I went out for a takeaway and spent the whole of the next day in bed with food poisoning. Chris Liptrot came in and he took his chance well by taking five wickets.

"It was a disappointment for me to miss the game because Surrey are my old team and it was a good bowling wicket. But good luck to Chris. I was the first one to shake his hand and pat him on the back."

The dodgy takeaway, however, is now history and de la Pena is more hungry than ever for wicket-taking success.

"The coach has given us sheets and we have all filled them in about our own personal goals for the season. I've put down that I'd play ten Championship games and I think for a first season with a new county that would be ideal.

"I'd like to take 45-50 wickets which I think I'm capable of, but obviously paramount in my mind is to get another contract."

Monday, May 24, 1999.