Pat Brown sends warning to Worcestershire's T20 Blast opponents

The medium-pacer is working on his variety with the white ball but continues to have ambitions of featuring on a regular basis in the Championship

Pat Brown is working on developing new deliveries for his already considerable Vitality Blast armoury as he looks to repeat the success which helped Worcestershire achieve title glory last September.

But the 20-year-old does not want to be pigeon-holed as a T20 specialist and is also keen to eventually make an impact in red-ball cricket.

Brown played four of the final five games in the Specsavers County Championship promotion-winning season of 2017.

For now the focus is on the Blast with Worcestershire able to now fully concentrate on the defence of their title after this week’s Championship encounter with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham ended in a 13-run defeat.

Brown picked up 31 wickets in last season’s competition – the most in the country – and only a back injury prevented him from playing in the Bangladesh Premier League during the winter.

The fact his success helped the county pick up a trophy was more important for Brown than personal glory but he is aware of the need to continue to evolve his skills in white-ball cricket ahead of Friday’s encounter with Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.

T20 BLAST HUB

“I’ve worked on a couple (of deliveries). You’ve got to keep trying to evolve your game and stay one step ahead,” Brown said.

“I’ve not bowled them in a game yet but I don’t think it will be too long before I can.

“I’ve been practicing them for a couple of weeks now so, when we get into this T20 block of cricket, it will be easier to practice them more consistently and get to where I want to be with them before I bowl them in a game.”

Brown is unfazed by opponents making use of the raft of technology available to try and work out and counter-act his bowling skills.

“I’m sure they were last year as well. It’s not like it is a quick tournament over in a short space of time,” he said.

“It spans a long period and I’m pretty sure by finals day, Lancashire and Sussex would have looked at some footage.

“To be honest, I don’t worry too much about that. Like people say, even if you pick it and know it is coming you’ve still got to be able to hit it for six.

“I don’t worry too much about if they are looking at what’s going to come or if they are looking too much into me.

^{Pat Brown helped Worcestershire to promotion from Division Two in 2017}

“If I can nail my skills like I know I can as well as I did last year, I’ll be alright still.”

While the Blast is now Brown's priority - and his team-mates – he is keen to make his mark in the Championship. 

“It is a bit frustrating that people try to pigeon-hole me already as a T20 bowler,” he said.

“It’s a compliment in a way because of how well I went last year and that they think I’m good enough just to focus on white ball.

“But for me, the way I see it, I’m a 20-year-old lad and I’ve not really had a good run of games in red-ball cricket, partly due to my own performance, my back injury and lack of opportunities.

“There is plenty of time to improve in the red-ball cricket and there’s no reason why I wouldn’t want to.”

Courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network

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