THE successful Worcestershire Rapids brand has been extended to incorporate the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Rapids have become synonymous with the success enjoyed by skipper Daryl Mitchell and his players in the NatWest T20 Blast over the last two seasons.

It was also included in a recent television advert, which helped to significantly increase ticket sales.

Now Rapids will go hand-in-hand with the 50-over competition, which starts today for the County at Durham’s Emirates ICG.

Commercial director Jon Graham said: “One-day cricket at county level is ideal for families to come and spend the day out.

“Children buy into the Rapids brand a bit more than the perception of Worcestershire CCC, which is great for four-day cricket, the members and everything that is synonymous with what we are.

“I feel, with one-day cricket, you’ve only got to look at what happened in the ODI series between England and New Zealand. That’s not 50-over cricket, it’s T20 extended.

“England keep talking about an exciting and dynamic style of cricket. That is what the Rapids are — dynamic — and I see the T20 and 50-over cricket becoming closer so therefore why not use your brand to bring the whole thing together?

“We are doing a promotion for the first time where kids will go free if accompanied with an adult.

“It is the journey of getting people to the ground, getting children to the ground who therefore by definition will bring their parents.

“If we do play an exciting brand of 50-over cricket, all of a sudden T20 might become something they want to come and see and then, that’s it, they’re in and down the line they become members.

“With T20, it is exciting, brash and everything it is but the 5.30pm start on a Friday is not really conducive to a six, seven or eight-yearold child whereas a 10.30am start in July and August, when they can get on the outfield by 1.30pm, feels like it’s a bit more on brand for that.

“It’s the kids that say they are going to see Rapids in a one-day game, who I think become the fans of the future.”