SPECTATORS at Bristol watching Worcestershire's Liverpool Victoria County Championship match with Gloucestershire might have thought their ears were playing tricks on them when they heard a familiar Yorkshire accent in the middle.

However, they weren't hearing things and it was none other than the County's director of cricket Steve Rhodes under the lid at short-leg for the final session.

Steven Davies need not start to panic though, as the former New Road wicketkeeper was quick to rule out a return to on-field action, insisting it was merely a move born out of necessity.

Rhodes said: "Steve Moore got hit on the head twice fielding at short leg, so we took the precautionary measure of not sending him back out after tea.

"Shaftab Khalid was our 12th man, but we were looking for someone to go under the helmet at short leg, so I decided to go out in the field for the final session.

"It was good to be back out in the middle and the banter was flying around with the batsmen, but I'm certainly not considering making a playing comeback -- Davo (Steven Davies) is doing too good a job!"

Meanwhile, Rhodes insists he is happy playing home games further down the square than normal for this time of year.

Due to the preparations for yesterday's Elton John concert, Worcestershire have been playing on the wickets to the side of the square that tends to be damper.

However, Rhodes believes it is the batsmen who have been responsible for their dismissals rather than any gremlins in the pitch.

He said: "I've got no problem with the pitches we are using as the ball always seams around a bit at New Road early in the season.

"If you look at the pitches we've used so far, the bounce has been pretty even and it has been the bit of seam movement that has undone a lot of the batsmen.

"I've got no complaints about the pitch and I think Tim (Packwood, head groundsman) has done a very, very good job in trying circumstances."