WHEN Worcestershire began their season back in April, I must admit I didn’t see them winning promotion.

I had all but written the 2014 season off as one that was going to be a struggle coming off the back of a mediocre 2013, the departure of Alan Richardson and the increased international commitments for Moeen Ali.

Yet, six months on, and the County have well and truly made myself, and plenty of others, eat humble pie big time.

For not only have they wrapped up promotion with a game to spare, but they have been in the top two from day one.

Steve Rhodes’ side have also done it in style, with the win against Surrey likely to go down as one of the most astonishing ever at New Road.

They were a beaten team on Thursday morning — even skipper Daryl Mitchell admitted that — and the possibility of a third successive defeat, and the danger of missing out on promotion, loomed large.

Then Jack Shantry took over and went from a reliable performer to hero and history-maker in a little over 24 months.

What the 26-year-old achieved in that period - becoming the first player in first-class history to score a century from number nine and take 10 wickets in a match - was nothing short of incredible.

For Rhodes to compare the feat to Worcestershire legend Ian Botham’s famous 1981 Ashes display at Headingley says it all.

Shantry has been one of the many players who have stepped up to the plate when it mattered this term.

The fact that Richardson’s name has barely been mentioned is testament to Matt Mason’s bowling department, with both Shantry and Charlie Morris taking 50 Championship wickets.

Ben Cox, Joe Leach, Richard Oliver, Alexei Kervezee and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have also provided substantial support to both Moeen and run-machine Mitchell.

Of course, Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal has played a huge part as well but it would be wrong to attribute the success purely down to him. It has been a team effort.

It was fitting, too, that Rhodes should dedicate promotion to the late Damian D’Oliveira who would have been looking down on the achievement with pride.