COUNTY director of cricket Steve Rhodes believes his side are in a great position to succeed in the Twenty20 Cup despite never getting past the quarter-final stage.

The fourth season of the popular action-packed competition starts today with the Royals travelling to Cardiff to take on out-of-sorts Glamorgan in a floodlit encounter (7.30pm).

Rhodes feels Worcestershire's blistering form and the availability of key players who have missed Twenty20 action due to international commitments in the past will play big parts in a successful campaign this year.

He said: "Twenty20 is a terrific competition and it has been well supported here at Worcester. Our supporters really come out in force for us in the Twenty20, which the lads love -- all players enjoy playing in front of huge crowds.

"It is a competition that has eluded us in the past, but we have been getting to know it better each year.

"In the past, we have suffered with international call-ups during the Twenty20, but we should have a full-strength squad for this year's competition.

"With Twenty20, you can have five bad overs and you have lost the game, but with the way we have been performing recently we couldn't wish for a better position to be going into the tournament."

Worcestershire will be without Phil Jaques for the entire Twenty20 Cup as he has returned to Australia to represent his country's 'A' side in the Top End Series in Darwin. However, Jaques' replacement, Kiwi Lou Vincent, made a terrific debut for the County, top-scoring with 83 in the C&G Trophy against Yorkshire.

Elsewhere, Worcestershire''s Second XI fixture against Warwickshire on Wednesday, June 28 will be played at Ombersley Cricket Club and not at Harborne as listed in the fixture card.