DIRECTOR of cricket Steve Rhodes is confident Worcestershire Rapids can make an impact in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.

The County failed to reach the knockout stages from the northern section last summer after a barnstorming start.

But Rhodes believes the squad, who should include New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner, can progress at least to the quarter-finals.

“I would love to get to finals day,” said Rhodes whose side have reached the last eight five times but not gone further since the competition was launched in 2003.

“I have been to, watched and experienced finals day and it’s a wonderful day out and a great occasion for the players and staff to enjoy and experience.

“But we don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves.

“We feel confident we’ve got a good outfit who can get us through to the knockout stages.

“But there are some very good teams in the country playing T20 Blast and quality cricketers and that’s what I have always loved about it.”

Rapids open their T20 programme at home to Birmingham Bears on July 7 (5.30pm) after completing the double over their rivals last term.

They then host Leicestershire Foxes on July 14 (5.30pm), Derbyshire Falcons on July 19 (5.30pm) and Lancashire Lightning on July 21 (5.30pm).

The quarter-finals are scheduled to take place between August 22 and 25 with the finals day at Edgbaston on September 2.

Rhodes said: “You get brilliant overseas players involved and it’s a competition which ignites the fire in the belly of the domestic players.

“They love it and it’s been a great competition in the past. But it will be interesting to see what happens in 2020 with the emphasis, drive and marketing from the ECB on a new city-based competition.”

Worcestershire finished third in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship in 2016 and made it to the quarter-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Rhodes is looking forward to Australian fast bowler John Hastings spearheading the attack with new skipper Joe Leach.

The County begin their four-day programme against Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium next Friday (11am).

Former champions Durham have been relegated to Division Two and start the season with a 48-point penalty due to financial problems.

Nottinghamshire, who were also demoted from Division One, Kent, Sussex and Gloucestershire are included in a 10-team section which offers two promotion places.

“We’ve had some challenging pre-season games in England and a really good training camp in Abu Dhabi so I am really looking forward to getting going,” said Rhodes.

“Hopefully we can get off to a really good start in Cardiff. I think the Championship will be a really tough contest again.

“It’s asymmetrical with 10 teams in the division and only 14 games so it’s possibly not a fair and equal system.

“Some teams might play twice against difficult teams and only once against a weaker team and vice versa.

“It isn’t a fair system and I anticipate it's going to be a tough, long haul.

“But if you can do well in the longer format it’s satisfying because it’s not a short competition. It’s a wonderful achievement if you can win the title or gain promotion.”