WORCESTERSHIRE County Cricket Club went down fighting against Durham after a gallant effort saw their LV = County Championship Division One survival hopes fade away.
The county set Durham a target of 291 but fell by three wickets on the final day of the match – Thursday (September 17) at the ICG Emirates.
Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes was left wondering what might have been if rain hadn’t halted play on the second day, which ultimately left Worcestershire to force a result, but the wrong one sends them back down to the second tier after just one season in the top flight.
“No one likes losing and we’ve had a few losses this year,” he said.
“We lost a day through the weather and we’ve played the dominant cricket. I take my hat off to Durham today and it was a wonderful chase from them.
“But I’m very hopeful of all our team, they are very young and will have learnt a lot from this situation.
“What has been hard this year is the young group of players lack a lot of experience. There are no international players playing for us apart from our overseas players.
“We are coming up against sides with some international experience and that will come to us. That’s on its way already.
“We’ve got a couple in the Lions squad now and they will start to get a little bit more exposure to better cricket,” he added.
Now, with their crop of young players signed up on a long term basis, the county will look to bounce back strongly in 2016 after the curtain comes down on the season against Middlesex at New Road on Tuesday (September 22).