Alex Gidman encourages Worcestershire to embrace holders status ahead of T20 Blast defence

The defending champions face two games in less than 24 hours, with two games against Nottinghamshire and Birmingham Bears taking place in as many days

Alex Gidman wants Worcestershire Rapids to embrace the mantle of Vitality Blast holders when they launch their defence of the title this week with two games in less than 24 hours.

Gidman says the Rapids' "white-ball confidence is high" as they make the swap to T20 mode after a disappointing run of results in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship.

First on the agenda on Thursday evening is an away clash with 2017 champions Notts Outlaws – televised live on Sky Sports at 7pm – followed by a sold out derby with Birmingham Bears at Blackfinch New Road on Friday at 5.30pm.

Moeen Ali is available for the Rapids' first two games after being part of England's World Cup winning squad along with New Zealand's Martin Guptill who featured in the dramatic finale at Lord's on Sunday.

Gidman said: "Does being champions add to the pressure? Certainly not. We've got to embrace the fact and enjoy what we achieved last year.

"I want the lads to enjoy being champions and try our utmost to get there again. Nothing would please me or the lads more than to replicate what we achieved last year.

"We should not be scared to talk about it. It is certainly nothing to be scared of. We are a very good white-ball team.

^{Worcestershire are the defending champions of the T20 Blast}

"We reached the quarter-finals of the 50-over competition (Royal London One-Day Cup) where we lost to the eventual winners (Somerset) who played very well against us.

"Our white-ball confidence is high even though we haven't played a game yet and I know the lads are itching to get going."

The Rapids have not won in seven Championship matches and Gidman admitted: "The T20 has come at a good time for us. The lads are excited about the competition now but at the same time they are hurting (because of the Championship) so I think it is a good time for it.

"But we have also got to recognise we've got another Championship game at Cheltenham on Sunday so the competitions are coming around thick and fast."

Worcestershire have slipped down to eighth in the Championship but have a game in hand on all of the sides above them.

Gidman said: "Although we have had a rough patch, the table is still very tight. It is a question of which team is going to string together two or three wins going into the back end of the season.

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"We have to believe we can do that and see where it takes us. There is still a huge amount to fight for."

Moeen skippered the Rapids to glory on Blast finals day at Edgbaston last September.

Guptill is back for a second spell at Blackfinch New Road and last summer scored the second fastest domestic T20 century of all time off 35 balls against Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.

He will link up with the county's other overseas player in Australian batsman Callum Ferguson.

Wayne Parnell is fit after a hamstring injury and has been training up at Durham this week along with Pat Brown who was the leading wicket-taker in the Blast last summer with 31 victims.

Ross Whiteley needs just five more sixes to complete 100 in T20 cricket for the Rapids since his move from Derbyshire mid-way through the 2013 season.

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Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

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