WORCESTERSHIRE batsman Alex Gidman experienced a challenging first year at New Road but, whatever his own fortunes on the pitch, he has always been willing to offer advice to the club’s crop of youngsters.

Gidman scored three half-centuries in the LV= County Championship and also suffered two spells out of action.

He had concussion after being hit by a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery at Trent Bridge and broke a finger in fielding practice at Durham.

The 34-year-old admits his main disappointment was not being able to contribute towards a couple more wins which would have kept the County in Division One, rather than regarding his own personal statistics.

But several of the club’s young players have been grateful for Gidman’s contribution in the dressing room and appreciate the former Gloucestershire player taking time to give out words of wisdom even when struggling for top form himself.

Gidman said: “The most important thing is you recognise there is always more you can do.

“It’s not all about what goes on on the pitch.

“I’ve tried very hard to stay consistent off the pitch and be there for the lads, but also understand where my place is.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket and any information I can pass on I will do. I’ve never been scared to give my thoughts or opinions, but at the same time not everything I say is right.

“If there is any information the group or individual can take that is helpful, then that’s a contribution which is within my control.

“I am always concious that is something I can help with. That will always remain, however good or bad my own personal season is going. That is something that should always remain consistent.”

As for his own form during 2015, Gidman admitted: “I’ve had many a poor season. We are all only human and it is something the young lads will go through as well.

“The lows in this game are quite severe and can hurt, but they are quite regular unfortunately.

“It is not an easy game to master, no-one has ever mastered it and you constantly get knockbacks and frustrating seasons.

“It can happen like that. Sometimes it’s just a few games, sometimes it’s a whole year, sometimes it’s longer than that.

“I will obviously work extremely hard in the winter as I always have done and try to start next season well and have a good year.”

Gidman added: “Do you write the season off as one of those seasons?

“Look, it has obviously been frustrating.

“The reason I say frustrating is there have been a few things that have been out of my control, which have really hindered my progress.

“Obviously, the two injuries were quite bad injuries, one from a confidence point of view. Getting hit on the head is not pleasant at the best of times, but particularly when it has the impact it had afterwards was pretty scary.

“Then obviously a broken finger is something I couldn’t do anything about either.

“But also I felt a bit unlucky at times with certain things into which I can’t go into too much detail, a few decisions that could have gone differently.

“Then before you know it, things escalate and it is not going my way.

“What disappoints me the most is I’m not a stats man, I don’t really care about individual stuff.

“What I would have liked to do is contribute more to the team winning a couple more games to see us safe.

“As a group, we only won three matches which wasn’t going to be enough and that has been the case.

“I would have liked to have contributed to a couple more wins and that would have made everything a lot different.”