WORCESTERSHIRE chairman John Elliott believes that Director of Cricket Tom Moody's positive approach to the way cricket should be played is rubbing off on the New Road players.

Moody is preparing his troops for the closing stages of a roller-coaster season in which he has im-

pressed Elliott with his Australian will-to-win style.

"I think after last year one of the biggest positive things for me is the role of Tom as Director of Cricket," said Elliott.

"He's basically taken over the responsibility of the whole cricketing side of the club from the first team to the second team to the academy.

"His input has been very strong and basically on the Australian way of playing cricket. He's had to influence the lads that they have really got to try to dominate cricket like the Australians do.

"He believes there is a big mind game in cricket and Tom is trying to instil this confidence into the lads to believe that they can win from any situation.

"They have all got to back themselves and not leave it to individuals to be responsible to win the game. Okay, on that point, the Championship has been disappointing, but I don't believe we have had a lot of luck.

"There have been lots of games like Warwickshire twice where we could have beaten them. We messed up twice against Nottinghamshire and we didn't do ourselves justice against Durham at Kidderminster. But I think there are positives in there.

"Tom seems to have got our batters playing a lot more positively and I think once he has the first season under his belt he will go from strength to strength. I think we have seen signs of the side trying to dominate more in cricket."

Elliott points to a number of plus points that have emerged during the season. None more so, he believes, than young paceman Kabir Ali who, after recovering from a stress fracture of the back, had his en-couraging campaign cut short by dislocating his collar bone in the floodlit Norwich Union League Division Two clash with Durham on July 31.

"Kabir, potentially, is a very, very good prospect not only with his bowling but also with his batting. I think he's a big one for the future and could possibly go all the way to the top.

"His cousin Kadeer is a very stylish batsman and he, for me, is one for the future as well. Chris Liptrot this year has, at the latter end of the season, shown signs of developing into a useful opening bowler or number one change. He's improved and he's got over his fitness problems.

"Alamgir Sheriyar, having had a poor season last year due to many factors, has shown us what he can really do and he's signed a new two-year contract which is a big plus for the club.

"Philip Weston seems to have got through his problem of what I call defensive cricket and he's now playing a more dominating role not only in the Championship but also in one-day cricket. I think Phil signing a two-year contract is a big bonus for us as I don't think we have seen the best of him yet.

"The biggest plus for me, though, is having Graeme Hick on board for the next three years. Graeme, in county cricket standards, is a star. He's a big asset to us not only on the field but also off it.

"The members want to see Graeme on board and I think getting him to sign a new three-year contract is a major plus for the club. It means we can build around him for the next three to five years.

"It means he will now finish his career with us. It didn't take a lot of persuading for Graeme to stay here.

"He's always been a Worcestershire player, but to actually get him signed on paper with all the movement in cricket and the rumours going around, is a major plus.

"Vikram Solanki is still on a learning curve this year and he's had another reasonable season. But I do believe for himself he has go for a higher level and I think he wants to get there.

"There are signs this year that he has nearly got there and who's to know in the next three, four years what he will have done for Worcestershire."