kevin sharp is looking for worcestershire to continue the gradual improvement evident in their specsavers county championship performances and results when they return to division one action against somerset at New Road on sunday.
head coach sharp has been encouraged with the way worcestershire have responded in the four-day format since the home defeat inside two days against nottinghamshire.
they have earned draws away to leaders surrey and nottinghamshire, narrowly lost at home to champions essex and defeated visiting lancashire.
although still occupying bottom position, worcestershire have manouvered themselves into a position where victory from their game in hand would lift them out of the bottom two.
sharp said: “we have played some good cricket in the championship and could have clocked up more than the one win.
“we played well at somerset and could have got over the finishing line had we not dropped james hildreth, who was the difference between the two teams with 150 runs in the game, four times – something unexpected from us because we are normally a very good fielding side.
“we played very well at surrey and against essex, i felt we never had the rub of the green at times in a game where there were only 30 runs between the two teams in the final reckoning.
“that’s cricket but definitely since that defeat at home to notts, when we were poor, i felt a win was coming – and it happened against lancashire and was well deserved.
“then we showed great resilience at trent bridge, in a game where three members of our front-line attack in joe leach, josh tongue and ed barnard were missing, to bat through nearly four sessions to earn a draw.
“those five extra points could mean a lot in the final reckoning because there are not many points between the teams in the table.
sharp said: “i’ve never felt that we don’t belong at this level and that’s the same mentality amongst the lads.
“the dressing room is determined to try and establish the county in division one and show they belong at the top table.
“now they have show it on a consistent basis during the second half of the season.”
