WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids’ skipper Daryl Mitchell believes Yorkshire Vikings will be looking to make a mark in this season’s Royal London One-Day Cup.

The two counties meet at New Road today (10.30am) and Mitchell thinks Andrew Gale’s side will provide a stiff challenge.

Worcestershire were frustrated by the weather on Monday when their Group ‘A’ opener at holders Durham was washed out.

Rapids’ director of cricket Steve Rhodes has named an unchanged squad with paceman Jack Shantry again rested after playing in all 11 LV= County Championship Division One and 13 NatWest T20 Blast matches this term.

Mitchell said: “Yorkshire are a good side. They will probably have been disappointed not to have progressed in the Twenty20 with the players they’ve got.

“They will be looking to make their mark in this competition no doubt so it will be a tough challenge.

“But we back our skills in white-ball cricket. We’ve worked hard over the last couple of years and performed well, particularly in the Twenty20.

“We were a little disappointing in the 50-over competition last year but I think we’ve learnt from our mistakes.

“We’ve got our plans for this year and will back ourselves against anyone. In one-day cricket, any side can beat any other on a given day.”

Worcestershire overcame Yorkshire in the T20 Blast at Headingley but lost in both County Championship matches at New Road and Scarborough.

Last week, Jonny Bairstow hit 139 in the first innings of Yorkshire’s seven-wicket Championship success against Worcestershire and then made 74 not out from just 51 balls in the second.

But Bairstow has been recalled to the England side for the Ashes in place of Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance.

Mitchell said: “It’s a massive thing for Bairstow not to be playing but I think they will have a replacement in Ballance, who is an England player, and it highlights the strength and depth of Yorkshire’s squad.”

Ballance was in form yesterday but Vikings slipped to a six-run defeat at Surrey. In reply to 265-8, he top-scored with 77 from 97 deliveries but Yorkshire fell short on 259-7.

Their opener with Gloucestershire was abandoned but they recorded a seven-run Duckworth-Lewis win over Derbyshire on Monday.

Rapids want to improve on last season’s group position of seventh and play Somerset at Taunton tomorrow.

Rapids (from): Mitchell, Oliver, Fell, D’Oliveira, Kohler-Cadmore, Whiteley, Cox, Leach, Barnard, Ajmal, Morris, Clarke.