Victory vital to County's trophy hopes

6:15pm Monday 19th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

WORCESTERSHIRE Royals need to put Sunday's crushing 84-run defeat at Somerset Sabres behind them when they head for Hampshire Hawks (2.30pm) in the Friends Provident Trophy.

The New Road side turned in a miserable batting display at Taunton in the South/West Division of the FPT and, if they want to keep their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals alive, they must win their remaining three games, starting at the Rose Bowl in this day-night clash.

Only Daryl Mitchell and Ben Smith showed any resolve at Taunton with the former hitting his second one-day career best of the season.

Mitchell's 92 from 93 balls eclipsed the 63 scored at Gloucestershire Gladiators in April, but the 24-year-old all-rounder is going to need his team-mates to rally round him if the County are to extend their participation in the FPT past next Wednesday.

"The target is to win every single match in the group now and that is easily done in one-day cricket once you get on a roll," said the County's director of cricket Steve Rhodes.

The New Road side will welcome back Simon Jones after the Welshman was rested in Sunday's defeat at the Sabres.

The 29-year-old paceman is chasing a third successive five-wicket haul after taking quintets in the home games against the Hawks and Gloucestershire in LVCC Division Two last week.

The 2005 England Ashes hero will come into the side in place of Richard Jones, while Kabir Ali is expected to be fit despite feeling stiff on his return from a hamstring injury.

"People have got to understand that Simon has not played for a long, long time and I want him bowling well for us in July, August and Septem-ber," said Rhodes.

"The plan was always to rest him on Sunday and bring him back today and play him on Sunday at Glamorgan."

Victory for the Royals, depending on the margin of the win, could see Rhodes' men leap from third in the South/ West Division to the top.

But it will be a stronger Hawks side that Worcestershire face than the one they crushed nine days ago by nine wickets.

Hampshire skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas is back from the Indian Premier League, while opening batsman Michael Carberry returns after missing the New Road match due to England Lions duty.