Rhodes hopeful about Worcs future

Steve Rhodes took over from Tom Moody as director of cricket in 2005

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes is already looking ahead to next season in positive mood, despite a summer of gloom at New Road.

Following a third straight failure to hang onto top flight status in the County Championship, Worcestershire's top players are queueing up to leave.

But Rhodes is pleased with the way his county's youngsters took their chance in the closing weeks of the season.

"We have good young players. We've more than green shoots appearing," he said.

"We hope we can nurture and develop them and have them here for many years here.

"To me, we ended the season looking a reasonably well-balanced side," Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"Richard Jones, David Wheeldon, Alexei Kervezee and Jack Shantry have all done well.

"Chris Whelan bowled very well in that last game.

"And Gareth Andrew has had two terrific weeks. Two fifties and a nine wickets on top of that.

"I'm really pleased with the ending we had. We had a good last week.

"Saving the game on the final Saturday against the county champions Durham was tough, but we batted out that last day. And winning the game on the Sunday against the Pro40 winners Sussex was a great way to go out."

There's a lot more good eggs here than bad eggs

Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes

Since then, the prospects of former England fast bowler Kabir Ali following Surrey-bound duo Gareth Batty and Steven Davies out of New Road have increased.

Concerns over injury-plagued Simon Jones' long-term future led to the former Ashes hero being told he would not get a new contract in midsummer. And England Lions opener Stephen Moore is still weighing up his options.

Admittedly, experienced paceman Alan Richardson has already been brought in from Middlesex.

But, until Rhodes knows whether Kabir and Moore will go too, he will not decide how many more new signings the county might have to make.

"We need the odd senior player or two," he said. "And we've picked one of them up in Alan Richardson.

"And, once we know about one or two more in our own house, then we'll be closer to knowing what we need to do about new signings."

Each time Worcestershire have been promoted to the top flight (in 2003, 2006 and 2008), they have come straight back down.

And, although they got back up again within two seasons the first time and then only one summer in 2008, there are concerns that getting back to the top flight will not prove so easy in 2010.

To lose a home-grown talent like Davies has come as a particular blow.

And, based on the 2009 season, Davies will be the only one truly missed.

Jones did not bowl a ball in 2009, Kabir managed to play just four matches, Moore flopped with 738 Championship runs and Batty made just 175 and took nine wickets in 10 matches.

Alan Richardson is Worcestershire's only signing so far for 2010

But captain Vikram Solanki remains in charge on the pitch, Matt Mason (43 wickets in 14 Championship games) is still a threat and Daryl Mitchell (the only Worcestershire player to get his 1,000 runs) has made significant progress. And Rhodes is happy that there is still cause for optimism.

"It's been a tough year for myself, Vikram and the support staff," added Rhodes, "not to mention Mark Newton and his crew up in the offices.

"We've had the odd gripe and moan by members.

"But you can multiply that by 50 in terms of the ones who want to see us well.

"We have a strong core through thick and thin wishing us well.

"There's a lot more good eggs here than bad eggs."

And, although 2009 could yet be seen as a turning point in the county's history, given the current major turnaround on the playing staff, Rhodes insists that the door is always open.

"We don't want to be seen to be a club that's sour in losing a player," he said. "We're a very friendly club.

"We're always happy to see players come back and share a beer and enjoy what we've got, a lovely ground overlooked by a beautiful cathedral."