Worcestershire Head Coach Kevin Sharp felt his side “did little wrong” after suffering a four wicket setback against Lancashire in a Specsavers County Championship thriller at Southport.
An unbeaten century from skipper Dane Vilas enabled Lancashire to recover from 63-4 to chase down a 314 target.
Sharp told BBC Hereford-Worcester’s Dave Bradley: “First of all, I don’t think we’ve done much wrong to be honest. The pitch got a bit better to bat on without any shadow of a doubt.
“It’s been more placid today than on the first two days. It was a bit tacky on the first day and gripped and nipped a bit and there was a touch of dampness in it.
But, as it has dried out, it has played differently than we anticipated as we thought it might spin towards the end but it has held together very well.
“Yes, you could argue we probably did execute with the ball quite as well as we did last week at Scarborough but that’s the game. You won’t always do it like that.
“You can always argue that could can have done things better in all departments – batting, bowling or fielding.
“But I’ve just said to the boys that their efforts have been outstanding and I thought we might win this.”
Sharp added: “I have to say that innings by Vilas was class, a match-winning innings. He has been supported by two or three other players and all credit to them.
“In the end, when you get a couple of partnerships like that, you probably deserve to win. I don’t really feel we can fault our lads too much.
“When you’ve been in the game a while, you never take anything for granted. Things happen in cricket, sometimes things happen from nowhere and the game changes.
“The ball dropped into the gaps a couple of times when it went up into the air and on another day it goes to hand but credit to them.
“We will get on the bus, have a couple of days off, will practice on Monday and be ready for Hampshire on Tuesday.”