26/5/03 - Determined Rhodes in Trophy vow to 'take no prisoners'

The long-serving wicketkeeper, however, is predicting a closely fought clash against his former county.

He believes Worcestershire will go into the eagerly-awaited showdown as fav-ourites - but knows full well that the Tykes will be difficult to beat.

The loyal 38-year-old, who was on York-shire's books from 1981-4 before making a highly successful move to New Road, said: "I think if you look at our one-day form, taking the National League into account over the last couple of years, I'd say we would be favourites.

"I think it will be a tight game though. It's certainly a type of match we've got to take no prisoners and do the job with a professional effort."

Yorkshire, who won the Trophy last year by beating Somerset by six wickets in the final at Lord's, comfortably overcame their third round hurdle against Cambridgeshire with an 85-run victory at The Avenue Sports Club ground, March.

On the same day the County made progress by crushing the Worcestershire Cricket Board by 170 runs at New Road.

Bradford-born Rhodes was a member of the County's side which lifted the Trophy - then sponsored by NatWest - for the first and only time so far with an eight wicket win over Warwickshire in 1994.

He said: "Yorkshire have proved a difficult side, but we have done pretty well against them in one-day cricket over the last five years or so.

"There should be a big crowd on Wednesday because they will be bringing down quite a few.

"Provided we get some good weather then you can be sure of a really good game."

Although Rhodes would love to get to the final again, he believes it's more important for Worcestershire members and supporters to have a big-match day out at Lord's.

He said: "It would mean a lot for me to get to the final again, but I think there are more important people than me.

"We have had some terrific support down the years and I think for all the members and supporters here at Worcester they are due a day out at Lord's.

"It's more important to them than it is to somebody like me who has actually been there and won a trophy or two.

"It would certainly be nice to go back, but I'm thinking more for the supporters than us.

"We are very much into taking things one game at a time. It's been a good trophy over the years, almost like the FA Cup type of thing.

"The Worcester Cricket Board didn't really test us too much but that was a potential difficult game.

"We went about it in a very forthright professional manner and if we can repeat that sort of attitude then we'll probably win the game against Yorkshire.

"We have got people who want to watch cricket at New Road. In the first game of the season there was a marvellous crowd down here and I'm sure it will be very keen and avid supporters of cricket who will come and watch Wednesday's game.

"Yorkshire have quite astute supporters and followers of the game. I'm sure there will be a few little quips from the crowd which normally happens from the Yorkshire followers, particularly at me being an exile."

Although he's a Tykes 'old boy', Rhodes now regards Yorkshire as 'just another county to me'.

He said: "In my early years at New Road I thought it was a real game to win. I knew a lot of the guys who I grew up playing my cricket with there, but a lot of those have disappeared now.

"Yorkshire are very much just another county now. The Warwickshire games are special ones for us here at Worcester."

Wednesday's other fourth round matches are: Middlesex v Sussex (Lord's), Leicester-shire v Nottinghamshire (Leicester), Durham v Lancashire (Chester-le-Street), Somerset v Surrey (Taunton), Kent v Gloucestershire (Canterbury), Warwickshire v Essex (Edg-baston), Glamorgan v Derbyshire (Cardiff).

The first and second quarter-finals will be staged on Tuesday, June 10, with the other two on the following day.

The first semi-final will be on Thursday, August 7, and the other on Saturday, August 9.

The showpiece Lord's final will be on Saturday, August 30.