Worcestershire Rapids Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes gives his reaction after the five wicket win over Durham Jets in the NatWest T20 at New Road with Richard Oliver scoring 70 not out after Saeed Ajmal's 3-13 in four overs.
Question: Well done, seven wins out of 10 games?
Steve Rhodes: "Just delighted really. Today was an interesting wicket because it didn't quite come onto the bat so it made for a low-scoring game but it was a very good chase by us.
"I thought Richard Oliver timed it to perfection and to see it through to the end as an opening bat is a really good finishing effort.
"It was set up by some excellent bowling and Ajmal's figures were excellent and the damage he did. But I thought it was a really good all-round effort with the ball."
Question: Tremendous in the field, three run outs, and bowling as well?
Steve Rhodes: "We did some great things in the field. I think though we were possibly 20 per cent down in the field to what we were at Trent Bridge. I'm very, very pleased to say we won a game where we could have done better and that's not knocking the performance
"If you are going to do well in competitions, you need to win games where you don't quite do it as well as you can and that's what happened today. That is a really good sign for us."
Question: It will do Richard Oliver the world of good, getting runs at Trent Bridge in the Championship and now here?
Steve Rhodes: "He also played well on Friday night. He got a very good 31 in the T20 at Trent Bridge was well. He is maturing nicely and what Durham probably didn't have is one guy who went all the way through and to do what Richard did. He batted at the start and was there at the end and it was a very good 70 not out."
Question: The partnership (of 51) with Brett D'Oliveira was crucial?
Steve Rhodes: "They looked and played very coolly in the chase and again that is a positive sign because these lads are young players so to see them taking their time and playing it cool was excellent so it was a bit of a surprise Brett did what he did. He tried something which was quite high risk and yet up to that stage had played very coolly.
"But there are good signs there. When you are chasing a score, there is a lot of pressure which builds through scoreboard pressure and it was nice to see that the guys kept cool under that sort of pressure."
Question: To win in front of 10,000 plus at Trent Bridge and beat a good Durham side on the back of the Championship defeat at Trent Bridge shows the character of the side?
Steve Rhodes: "Yes, we are also very lucky in if you look at our four-day and T20 sides, there are three or four changes and the enthusiasm that Ross Whiteley, Brett D'Oliveira, Colin Munro and Tom Kohler-Cadmore show when they come into this team helps the others.
"It is quite nice to have some fresh blood coming into this tournament and it does help the others."
Question: The sell-out game against Birmingham Bears should be some spectacle?
Steve Rhodes: "It is always great to play against Warwickshire and we are very much looking forward to it. But it is on the day. A T20 game, anyone can beat anyone on the day and let's hope the lads are in good form and play well and manage to get the best out of what will be a fantastic crowd."
Question: Before then, you've got Hampshire in the LV = CC, a really important game?
Steve Rhodes: "They've all been important and this one is no different. I'm sure they will be seeing it that way, We need to come up with the points in that match.
"But we will not be looking too far ahead. You can't do that in four-day cricket. We will just look to try and do probably what we've been doing for a period of time in four-day cricket which is to get ourselves into a good position and try and see it home."
Question: You were denied by the weather down at Hampshire.It will be nice to have the better of them again in this match?
Steve Rhodes: "We played some great cricket down there and sadly we couldn't quite finish the game with weather intervening. It cut too much time out of the game for us to try and force the win.
"But that's history, that's fish and chips paper, and now it's all about getting a good start tomorrow morning, getting in a good position, and finishing the game off."
Question: That performance will be good for Saeed's confidence?
Steve Rhodes: "Oh yes, to get a man of the match…..he is forever trying to silence people who have knocked him and he is a very important member of our dressing room.
"But you won't believe how well liked he is in our dressing room. We are desperate for him to do well, not just for us, but for him himself because he is a fine individual and a really nice person."
