What a start, I got Trott out in Abu Dhabi!
Like any aspiring bowler, Ben Twohig dreamed that his first professional scalp would be a highprofile batsman. Unlike most, he made his vision a reality.
Making the pre-season trip with Worcestershire to Abu Dhabi, Twohig, 18, got the nod to feature against Warwickshire for his first senior game with the Pears, trapping Jonathan Trott lbw for 28 in the two-day clash.
It began his first year as a professional in perfect fashion, and while he has yet to feature competitively for the first team, Twohig is confident his slow left-arm orthodox can cause batsmen problems.
But he also admitted that achieving life-long dreams can come with its difficulties.
“It started off quite tough,” said Twohig. “From a cricket perspective it was OK because you could just turn up and do what you’ve always done, but it’s been a big transition year, moving to a different area was a huge challenge.
“But you get used to that independence. It does affect your game a little bit, but the lads are great at Worcester, they really help you settle in.
“Abu Dhabi was a great experience, I was up against Trott and Ian Bell, bowling quite nicely and I managed to get rid of Trotty which was brilliant, but quite daunting despite it only being a friendly.
“This is the longest season I’ve had, it can take a lot out of you and it started off with some tough winter camps so they don’t let you in gently! But it gets you properly prepared and that’s what you need at the top level.”
Having started at Yorkshire, Twohig was offered a scholarship with Malvern College at 14 – Worcestershire then naturally became the choice to continue his development.
It’s a move that has clearly benefited the Dewsbury-born man, featuring heavily for the 2nd XI while earning a spot for England U19s’ two four-day fixtures against Sri Lanka starting next Thursday.
The selection came as a welcome relief for Twohig, who was left frustrated over the winter after just missing the cut for the U19s World Cup.
Since then the all-rounder has put in the hard yards alongside fellow spinner Brett D’Oliveira at New Road – with Moeen Ali absent on England duty – while also tapping into the minds of two New Zealand internationals, Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry.
“With [left-arm spinner] Mitch Santner, it was excellent to be able to pick his brains when he was here, particularly in the white-ball game as you don’t often get a major chance with that. He also learnt a lot from Daniel Vettori, and as one of the best Test spinners that was even more of a boost.
“Captain Daryl Mitchell has been great, he’s the oldest in the squad and I’m the youngest but he takes that time to develop a proper relationship with you which is fantastic.
“With that experience I feel I’m ready to show what I can do with the U19s. It’s brilliant to be a part of the England agegroups and hopefully I can take advantage of it.”