SO has that early season promise evaporated already?

To miss out on the Benson and Hedges Cup quarter -finals, and therefore one of those cup matches on which a team and its supporters thrive, was agreat disappointment.

That the two home matches should be lost highlights an increasingly familiar failing of being unable to generate sufficient runs on grudging New Road pitches. Like a golfer too familiar with the dangers of a particular hole, tension makes the dangers worse.

This week sees the return of Richard Illingworth to New Road, and no doubt comparisons will be made with Matthew Rawnsley.

Richard would be the first to admit that he got his chance at the expense of Norman Gifford who, in turn, moved on to prolong his career with Warwickshire.

Illy's lower order runs and one-day acumen have been missed.

Through force of circumstances, he developed the knack of being a very effective slow bowler on Worc-ester's seamer-friendly pitches. This is one of the things which Matthew will now have the chance to learn, and under the real pressure that there is no safety net of returning to the Second XI. He is the principle spinner.

One of the targets for this year must be for Matthew to establish himself in the side as a wicket taking spinner.

At this stage of the season, having gone out of one competition, it is worth considering what will constitute success this year for Worcestershire.

Clearly, promotion in each of the leagues is paramount. However, to get promoted with a side liable to drop straight back down would represent a hollow achievement. For this not to occur, along with a spinner, one of the seam bowlers must establish himself.

We are very good at building up young players and our own hopes for them; by the end of this season of second division cricket we need to see a finished article, someone capable of taking 50 wickets on a regular basis.

This latest game with Hampshire has highlighted again how much the County has relied on Graeme Hick over the years for the bulk of its runs. Establishing a confident and settled opening partnership must be the next target to help with this run flow. It is far from easy opening when every other game is at New Road where the new ball seams and bounces so much more than the old.

Paul Pollard only found real success when dropping down the order after his move from Nottinghamshire.

Now Anurag Singh is facing the same difficult adjustment. But Worcestershire needs him and Phil Weston to use this year to establish themselves as a consistent platform. First division status, together with a side capable ofsustaining first division quality cricket, must be the twin targets for this year.

In the short term, Derbyshire visit New Road. There is a Test match on so Cork may be missing, but along with Richard Illingworth, Derbyshire have recruited some useful players on second careers such as Rob Bailey and Tim Munton. They will form doughty opposition, but a side aspiring to first division status will need to prove itself better than one which is increasingly having to prop itself up with seasoned performers.