CAPTAIN Daryl Mitchell admits Worcestershire have “made life difficult for themselves” to gain promotion from Specsavers County Championship Division Two.

However, he insists victory over Northamptonshire, which starts today (11am), at New Road could spark a late surge for top spot from his side.

With just four games left of the season, Worcestershire find themselves 34 points adrift of leaders Essex in fourth place.

They have also lost their last three games, including a heavy defeat to Somerset in the quarter-finals of the Royal London One-Day Cup last week.

But, after a few days off to recharge their batteries, Mitchell says they are ready to attack their remaining matches against Northants, Essex, Sussex and Derbyshire.

“We have made life a little bit more difficult for ourselves as we have got to win three out of four now,” he said.

“But promotion is still up for grabs as the division is very tight with everybody beating each other and if we can put in some good performances and play well in the remaining games, then we are still in with a chance.

“We managed to get a couple of wins on the bounce in the early part of the year but we then went away from four-day cricket and when we came back to it we struggled.

“So it is about getting that first win again and hopefully getting some momentum off the back of that.”

George Rhodes, son of director of cricket Steve, will return to the side in place of struggling batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who has been dropped to the second XI.

The all-rounder’s inclusion increases Worcestershire’s bowling options as a second spinner alongside Brett D’Oliveira in addition to the four front-line seamers.

Mitchell believes in-form Rhodes, who scored a maiden Championship half-century on his previous appearance at Kent, will also strengthen their batting line-up against a Northants side fresh from winning the T20 Blast.

“George has come into the side and he will hopefully give us a bit more solidarity in that middle order,” Mitchell added.

“But as a group we have got to bat better in that first innings.

“We were stuck in first against Glamorgan and the overhead conditions were not in our favour but you have got to be better than that and see out that first session.

“Northants will be on a high after winning the T20 competition. They have played very well in white-ball cricket but not so well in red ball.

“We can take confidence in the way we played at Wantage Road, so we are looking to start well, build pressure and hopefully they will crack.”

Leaders Essex head to second-placed Leicestershire today, while County’s fellow challengers Gloucestershire and Kent meet at Bristol.

Worcestershire: Mitchell, D’Oliveira, Fell, Clarke, Rhodes, Whiteley, Cox, Leach, Barnard, Shantry, Morris.