Worcestershire Rapids First Team Coach Alex Gidman says all his focus is on trying to win tomorrow’s final Royal London One-Day Cup North Group clash away to Derbyshire Falcons and sealing a place in the knockout phase.
Gidman will only concern himself about the possible permutations in terms of whether the Rapids have a home semi-final, home quarter-final or away quarter-final if they qualify once the clash with the Falcons has been put to bed.
The Rapids are currently lying in second spot – one point behind Notts Outlaws, level on points with Lancashire Lightning, who have finished their programme, and one ahead of Durham who have one match remaining.
The group winners are assured a home semi-final next Sunday, the North Group runners-up will entertain the third placed team in the South Group on Friday and the third placed North Group side will visit the runners-up in the South Group, also on Friday.
Gidman said: “It’s such a good competition that, however well you play, it’s always tight at the end. It is very hard to run away with it.
“I remember last year we went to Warwickshire for the final game and if we won, we topped the group – which we did – and if we didn’t, we would have been knocked out completely.
“We’ve still got one game to go and, I’m under no illusions. We need to win to qualify, let alone where we finish in the group.
“What we will do is go there and give it our best shot. They are a good team. Although they’ve missed out on qualifying, they’ve won some good games this year.
“We need to show them the respect they deserve and we will do our best to win the game.
“You have probably heard me say a number of times that I genuinely only look at what is right in front of us and that’s another game against Derbyshire.
“There are lots of different ways that we can finish, and other teams can finish, and it’s just about trying to win the game on Monday and we know if we win that, we will qualify.
“What that looks like in terms of who and where we are playing, we will cross that bridge on Monday night.
“But I can assure you the most important thing is how we start the game on Monday and doing everything in our power to win that game and see where it takes us.”
