Skipper Moeen Ali says Worcestershire can get even better after the Rapids tasted T20 glory for the first time by lifting the Vitality Blast Trophy at Edgbaston.
The England all-rounder says the Rapids success is deserved after the consistent and quality performances they have produced in white ball cricket throughout the year.
The Rapids defeated Lancashire Lightning by 20 runs in the semi-final and then overcame Sussex Sharks in the final by five wickets with nine balls to spare.
Ben Cox was the Worcestershire batting hero in both matches and he picked up both man of the match awards.
But Moeen himself – with bat and ball – and Pat Brown, who ended as the competitions’s leading wicket-taker, played key roles.
Moeen said: “The guys deserved it, us a club, we deserved it, the way we’ve been playing throughout the year.
“Today was special for us as a group. Everyone chipped in at some stage and we’ve been doing that all year.
“Today was Coxy’s day. He was fantastic in both games and I’m really chuffed for him after having a tough week.
“He was a massive player for me this year in this competition.
“To win this, it means a lot to Worcestershire. It’s more than just the cricket team. It’s the city, the fans, the players, people who work at the ground, everyone involved.
“It’s great for me, my first year as captain. I felt the time was right for me to be captain and we have a fantastic bunch of guys with no egos and that is always special in a team.
“I love being captain. I feel really motivated. “
Moeen added: “To get through the quarter-finals got rid of a mental block for us.
“We’ve been there a few times over the years and to get over that, I think that was the most special day for us, even though we won comfortably in the end – and then today was fantastic for us.
“This was no fluke. We’ve been getting better and better each year and today we got everything right.
“I still feel we can get better as a team but I’m chuffed for the boys and we deserve this as a group.
“We are a young team but quite a lot of the guys like Coxy have played a lot of cricket now. They are quite experienced for young players.
“That really helps. He is one of our senior players but the rest of the guys…..Pat (Brown) has come into the side and been outstanding this year.
“He has been bowler of the tournament in my opinion. He has won us games on his own and today again he was fantastic.
“He could easily have been man of the match in both games. It is about giving guys opportunities and sometimes the young lads energise the team.”
