I write whilst Worcester's fate hangs in the balance, but with it tipped pretty heavily in the wrong direction, at least in the four-day game.

Back in April I hoped for a good start, a rarity in recent seasons, and was obliged with some wonderful cricket, leaving the county top in both league competitions.

Maybe we peaked too early, because it has been hard to find comfort in this second half of the season! Something may yet come of the season, but the quality has not been good overall.

The captain's absence with England, despite Steve Rhodes' massive efforts as deputy, cannot have helped. Injuries have been abundant and players leaving or retiring at the end of a season have only added to the forlorn look of the situation.

The rot set in once the decision to replay the NatWest game with Gloucestershire was announced. Since that time at the end of June there have been just two wins, both at home and both in the championship.

I was not alone at the time in stating that the sense of loss resul-ting from that decision and the subsequent defeat would take a long time to heal and so it has pro-ved. Small comfort in being right!

Statistics are notoriously untru-thful, but with only two batters around the 1000 run mark, there was a huge deficit to be made up somewhere. 25 wickets from the spinners between them and a third seamer as second highest wicket taker shows how heavily the bowling has leant on Glenn McGrath.

In the past the batting has leant equally heavily on Graeme Hick and without his presence, and despite the best efforts of Vikram Solanki and David Leatherdale, the top order simply has not been able to put enough runs on the board.

There are reasons in terms of the "replay effect" and some poor home pitches, but if the reasons become excuses then progress will be difficult. In reviewing the season there seem to have been more minuses than pluses.

Vikram, though, has been outstanding despite seeming to be picking up 0's on a regular basis. His championship runs have come at an average of nearly 50 and he has scored big runs in four out of five of the wins.

Alamgir Sheriyar, on the other hand, has found life less easy. Like the West Indian bowlers trying to follow Walsh and Ambrose, he has struggled to keep pace with McGrath.

Many young players have promised without delivering on a consistent basis. And at present it will be a familiar, if dwindling old guard who will again form the core of Worcester's efforts next season.

The final word, however, must lie with Glenn McGrath. His presence has been thrilling; the season made worthwhile on its own by his excellence. I made another pretty obvious statement earlier this year that, at least with him in the side, you could never write Worcester off. Well, as I conclude I'm hoping that he really will have had the last word this weekend. His efforts deserve some reward.