Gareth Andrew insists Worcestershire want to show they are "not a side you can take lightly" as they look again to defy their underdogs tag in Division One of the LV = County Championship this summer.
Andrew is fit and raring to go after being unable to bowl for the final three quarters of last season because of a lumbar pedicle fracture in his back.
He looked in good form with the bat today in scoring 42 not out of Worcestershire's 264-8 from 82 overs on the opening day against champions Yorkshire at New Road.
Worcestershire defied the bookmakers odds to gain promotion from Division Two last summer and have now been made favourites to be relegated.
Andrew said: "It is a tough season ahead but we're all looking forward to the fight. We are always underdogs when we go into Division One.
"We were in the same position last year even when we were in Division Two and we showed people that we're a force to be reckoned with.
"Our motivation is to win things, we've got a great young squad and I think we can win things and compete with the best sides in the country.
"Going into the season as underdogs makes us more dangerous because people might come here complacent when they play us and we can show them that we're not that side which you can take lightly."
Andrew, who picked up 20 wickets in four Championship games before the back problem re-emerged, added: "It's been a really good pre-season, all the guys have had enough exposure out in the middle, the bowlers have bowled enough overs.
"It's been good, intense training and it's been a busy period.
"The easiest part of our year is probably the season now as we play games and have a couple of days off, whereas our pre-season has been really intense and fired everyone up."
