FIRST-TEAM coach Alex Gidman hopes the dramatic Vitality Blast win over Durham will be “a mini starting point” for Worcestershire in completing the season on a high in all formats.

Rapids showed resilience and fighting qualities after Durham reached 79-0 in the 12th over chasing a modest 118 target to win by three runs.

The North Group victory boosted their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

But now a spell of criss-crossing from white ball to red ball cricket will continue when they visit Northamptonshire tomorrow for the start of a Specsavers County Championship Division Two match.

Worcestershire are looking to keep alive their hopes of climbing back into the promotion picture with four games left.

Gidman said: “This year was never going to be straightforward, particularly with the scheduling we’ve had. It has been very tough.

“By this time next week we would have played three red ball games in the campaign since the Blast started whereas everyone, apart from Gloucestershire, would have only played one which makes it very hard.

“The lads have admittedly struggled to find a playing rhythm, but you have seen that character and determination on Thursday (at Durham) which has got us to where we are.

“That is now 12 points with four games to play so they have given themselves a fantastic chance of pushing to that latter stages of the Blast.

“There is a lot of cricket to be played but that result is huge in the context of achieving what we want to achieve.”

Gidman added: “You want the guys to keep that T20 rhythm and, on the back of an enthralling win, it would be great to have another (Blast) game in a couple of days. But unfortunately that is not the case and we need to switch to Sunday and pay all our attention to trying to win that game at Northampton.

“I’m proud of the guys, particularly for Thursday tonight, and am hoping it will be a mini starting point to trying to end the season really well in all formats.”