WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes paid tribute to his side's fighting qualities in securing victory over Derbyshire after admitting he felt the game was heading for a draw.

The visitors had reached 255-5 for a lead of 40 and seemed set to earn a share of the spoils after a century from Wayne Madsen and solid contributions from Harvey Hosein (59) and Tom Milnes (36).

But skipper Daryl Mitchell started a collapse of five wickets in 7.1 overs as Detrbyshire were bowled out for 266 before Worcestershire secured a nine-wicket win to finish third in Specsavers County Championship Division Two.

Rhodes said: "It was great entertainment for the crowd that were here. I think quite a lot went home because they anticipated the game fizzling out, which it looked like doing.

"Then our strike bowler Daryl came on and got us the wickets we require.

"We said at tea that five wickets sounds quite a lot to get but we lost five for five runs (at Hove) and in another game (at Taunton, Somerset v Nottinghamshire) someone lost five wickets for no runs.

"We reminded the players of that because they were pretty tired with two days out there in the field.

"You can never predict what is going to happen in cricket and it was nice to finish on another win.

"I was thinking this was destined for a draw. You had two lads in, one on 50 (Hosein) and one on 30 (Milnes) and Madsen had played so well earlier in the day.

"But the lads stuck to it and you've got to take your hat off to their staying together as a unit.

"It is interesting how it can turn around in a couple of deliveries."

Rhodes added: "It is great to finish with a win and we do try to go all the way to the end. That is one thing we've always tended to do at Worcester.

"There is a lot of playing for pride and trying to get as high as you can in the table. We did that when I was a player and we do that now."