LUCK is a fickle thing and as soon as you start relying on it you are doomed to failure.

I have played in games where the toss of the coin has determined the outcome of the game and Graeme Hick must have been delighted to be able to choose to bowl first at Chelmsford in the Benson & Hedges Cup semi-final.

What he would not have foreseen was a nasty period of batting at the end of the day chasing a target which would have proved tricky on any surface, let alone one offering plenty of help to the seamers.

So Worcestershire will not be contesting the last B&H final this coming Saturday at Lord's and Warwickshire's involvement grants Andy Bichel an extra day's recuperation on his return from Australia, with the Norwich Union League Division Two game against the Bears moving to next Monday from Sunday.

Interest in knock-out cricket will switch instead onto the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy fourth round match with Nottinghamshire this Wednesday.

The inconsistency of the batting is proving the main worry; neither Hick nor Vikram Solanki will be pleased with their tallies thus far this year.

The imminent return of Stephen Peters to fitness may well focus the mind as competition for places becomes a major issue again.

In the meantime, David Leatherdale continues his impressive batting form. Sven (that's Eriksson, not Phil Weston's pseudonym!) dismisses from his squads players who he feels leak energy out of a team situation.

On this basis, 'Lugsy' would be first on the team list every time.

He exudes energy like a radiator and sustained the first innings against Durham along with Gareth Batty's speedy half century.

If we are talking pseudonyms or nicknames, perhaps he should inherit the Duracell tag I once enjoyed, albeit for rather different reasons!

Whether this proved enough to provide a winning position depended on how well the bowlers were able to exploit the pitch and the lucky break, from a Worcestershire perspective, to Martin Love's finger.

Thus far, the form which has seen Kabir Ali gain the first player of the month award has deserted him.

It is unusual to see him without wickets or runs, but then that is how luck goes in this game.

The lower middle order has been a major source of runs for Worcestershire over the years.

At the heart of this has often been Steve Rhodes.

Tiring bowlers have foundered on his determined excellence and boundless energy.

He brought a modicum of respectability to the reply against Essex and has shown the consistency with the bat in this, his 18th season with Worcestershire, which has been missing elsewhere.

James Pipe must continue to wait patiently for his chance in the face of Bumpy's enduring quality.

So we approach mid-summer with the County's season poised; there has been much promise and some frustration for Tom Moody's men.

A win against the dangerous but erratic Nottinghamshire would set things up for the hot part of the summer and allow us to forget the disappointment of the semi-final defeat. Staying positive is crucial; it's amazing how things go for you when you are positive - just ask Ronnie Irani.