DIRECTOR of cricket Steve Rhodes believes Worcestershire can reach the knockout stages of the NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London One-Day Cup and win promotion in the County Championship.
The Pears chief believes success in all three disciplines of the game is achievable in 2017.
Worcestershire reached the quarter-finals in the One-Day Cup last season for the first time since the competition was rebranded.
They also finished third in Division Two of the Championship after winning three of their last four matches. Only champions Essex matched their overall tally of six victories.
Worcestershire missed out by two points on a last-eight spot in the T20 Blast despite a fine start in the North group which produced all four clubs on finals day at Edgbaston.
Rhodes believes overseas signing John Hastings will add an ‘edge’ to the bowling combination and hopes Kiwi all-rounder Mitchell Santner can stay injury free for the T20.
Speaking at the club’s AGM, Rhodes said: “With the Championship in 2016, it was always going to be quite a tough ask to get promoted with one from nine teams going up due to the eight-10 split the ECB wanted to happen.
“It was something I didn’t agree with. I felt it devalued Division Two. This season now we are down to 14 games and not 16 and we don’t play everyone home and away.
“Joe Clarke got 1,000 runs during the season which was a terrific effort, culminating in his Lions selection and with the ball Joe Leach bore the brunt of the attack with 65 wickets which was a great effort.
“We were heavily reliant on Joe and with a bit of a helping hand this year, we should go better.
“One of the problems we’ve had in the past is fire-power to bowl sides out in the 50-over competition.
“This year, Hastings will give us a bit of power in the middle of the innings to hopefully take a few wickets.”
Rhodes revealed his disappointment in not qualifying from the T20 North group and said his side is capable of making it to the 2017 finals day.
“Why didn’t we qualify? Losing Mitchell Santner was a really big blow to the club and the dressing room,” said Rhodes.
“We put a lot of time and effort into getting the right overseas player. I felt he was the perfect man for us in T20 cricket.
“Not just his spin bowling, but he is a very dangerous batter and the plan was to get him in the top six. It would give us another left hander with Ross Whiteley.
“Fingers crossed, we will have him for the whole tournament this year and to dovetail a bit with John Hastings.”
