Derbyshire v Worcestershire

Worcestershire take what county coach Steve Rhodes believes to be the best seam attack in Division Two to Chesterfield today as his side look to sustain their promotion challenge and gain some revenge following Derbyshire's victory at New Road earlier this season.

The last time these two sides met in the Liverpool Victoria County Championship, the season was barely a month old and Worcestershire's campaign was stuck in the starting blocks, waiting expectantly for Phil Jaques to come and get it moving.

Duly the Australian arrived and blasted a match-winning century on debut, since when they have not looked back and have powered their way to second place.

They have even learned to win without him - Jaques has spent July playing Australia A team matches in his homeland - and have claimed the spoils in each of their last four four-day matches.

That means they travel up the M42 in bullish mood, confident that by close of play on Saturday their favourite dish will have been served deliciously cold.

The chances of it happening are considerably better than even, particularly with a cordon of bowlers as dangerous, perhaps more so, than any other set outside of the top flight.

While Indian Test bowler Zaheer Khan has led the attack from day one, ably assisted by Kabir Ali, it was Matt Mason who cleared up in their most recent match, an inspiring 58-run win over Gloucestershire.

With their rivals poised ominously on 68 for one overnight and chasing 228 to win, Mason ripped through the middle and lower order to finish with career-best figures of eight for 45.

As a result his side not only moved into the promotion places but the 32-year-old's display put him up there with the best this season.

Of the top five performances with the ball in Division Two in 2006, four have been from Worcestershire players. That gives Rhodes belief that his arsenal will be powerful enough to put the county back at the top table.

"Our seamers have the potential to utilise conditions at New Road but we have also bowled people out away from home," the director of cricket said.

"Glenn McGrath said when he came here that he wanted us to produce the best batting wickets we could because he didn't want someone not as good as he is, or of a lesser ability, bowling us out at New Road.

"He backed himself to do that on good tracks and that's what has impressed me, that we have gone away from home and done just that at places like Essex andTaunton and we fought hard on a flat one at Bristol as well."

But it has not all been straight forward. Kabir misses this match having failed to shake off the side strain that kept him out against Gloucestershire in the latest of several injuries to threaten the team's progress.

Mason missed the early part of the summer, Nadeem Malik has been an infrequent contributor and Richard Jones has not been seen all season. Rhodes has been forced to stretch his limited resources as best he can.

"It's not been easy at times with our small squad but we have pulled together, the guys have worked for each other and bowled when they've needed to," he said.

"We are really pleased, though. Zaheer has bowled very well all season and has been contributing in the dressing-room - he really is a model professional, I couldn't ask more from an overseas player.

"Matt Mason bowled really, really well on a wicket that was quite helpful the other day and Roger Sillence has pushed his way into the team through performances but injuries as well and has grabbed his opportunity with both hands."

Sillence has started to contribute with the bat and scored his first half-century for Worcestershire in the last match, as well as an important first-innings 40.

His ability to take occasional wickets - or seven for 96 as he did at Somerset - has eased the pressure on the bowling attack as has the arrival of Jaques' stand-in as overseas player, Lou Vincent.

Rhodes is disappointed at Kabir's absence today although he concedes the situation has been somewhat ameliorated by the fact that, when required, the New Zealander can twiddle his way through a few overs a day.

However, he will hope not to have to do so at Chesterfield against a side who - after early-season promise - have posted five draws and two defeats since they beat Worcestershire.

That run has resulted in Derbyshire dropping slightly off the pace set by the league leaders but Rhodes knows that this week's visit might be more testing than previous ones, given the improvements that have been made by his counterpart, Dave Houghton, a former Worcestershire coach.

"They are still vastly improved from previous seasons," he said. "They have made some more-than-useful additions and a lot of those guys that came in have contributed to their cause right from the off. That must be very gratifying for Dave Houghton.

"They have a squad that is good enough to give anyone in the league a game and that hasn't always been the case but we want to get revenge from when they beat us at New Road."

HITTING THE MARK

The top five bowling performances in Division Two this season

1 Zaheer Khan (Worcs) 9-138 v Essex, June 15

2 Matt Mason (Worcs) 8-45 v Gloucestershire, July 22

3 Jon Lewis (Gloucs) 7-38 v Somerset, April 19

4 Kabir Ali (Worcs) 7-43 v Derbyshire, May 11

5 Roger Sillence (Worcs) 7-96 v Somerset, June 9