Cricket: Joe Barrett on trial as Worcestershire seconds bid for Trophy semi-finals

Coach Alex Gidman had a look at MCC Young Cricketers' Barrett when he scored 85 and 54 in the Championship draw with the seconds at High Wycombe.

Then the former Gloucestershire seconds left-hander from Chipping Norton, 22, scored 173 not out against Leicestershire.

Gidman said: “Joe is someone we are keen to have a look at and we will see what happens.”

The seconds are in prime position to go through to the last four despite last week’s defeat to Durham at Hartlepool.

Gidman said: “The lads have worked extremely hard in the second team, played some really good cricket and fully deserve to be in the position they are in.

“They are excited, I’m excited and it is a great opportunity but what we need to do is what we have done in previous games and just focus on our performance.

“If we do well I’d like to think we will give ourselves a chance of winning but there is no point in looking too far ahead. It’s just about performing, enjoying it and trying our best to win.”

Worcestershire also played Lancashire in the final group game last season and lost by one wicket to narrowly miss out on a last-four spot.

Gidman added: “Hopefully the lads learnt something from that game, I’m sure they did. Hopefully that will give us an advantage in terms of their development since then.

“I’d like to think every game has an element of pressure in it because we are constantly trying to evolve, improve and learn.

“This is an opportunity to reach a semi which would be great but the danger of all these things is we look too far ahead. It’s really important we focus on what we need to do, what we’ve done well and try to repeat that and improve it."

The County lost by 81 runs at Durham after falling short of the hosts' 284-5 despite Josh Dell's 60 and from 45 from Ben Twohig.

Worcestershire: Westbury, Rhodes, Barrett, Milton, Tongue, Malik, Dell, Ul Hassan, Twohig, Brown, Thornton.