Steve Rhodes is happy if Worcestershire Rapids are regarded as underdogs going into today's NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final with Surrey Lions at the Kia Oval and insists all the pressure will be on the home side.
Director of Cricket Rhodes is hoping to lead Worcestershire to their first ever finals day since the competition began in 2003 although this is their second quarter-final in the last three seasons.
And the former England wicket-keeper is delighted with the "no fear" attitude being shown by his players this season
Rhodes said: "First of all we are really looking forward to it. To be in the quarter-finals is a really good achievement. "It gives us a chance of our dream which is to get to a T20 finals day which would be lovely.
"I'd really happy to have the tag of underdogs and hopefully there will be a hell of a lot of pressure on Surrey playing in front of their own big crowd.
"We know what is going to come at us. We know they will stack it full of spin bowlers and hopefully we will have a game that can sort that out.
"But all the pressure will be on Surrey because we've got nothing to lose.
"They've got the advantage of home advantage so, whatever we do, we've got to play good cricket so we will just be going down there, trying to take our 'A' game there and if we go close to our best, that will mean Surrey will have to play at their best.
"If we play near our best, then Surrey will going to have to play well."
When asked if the occasion will affect a young Worcestershire team, Rhodes said: "Well it didn't at Yorkshire in the quarter-final a couple of years ago even though we lost.
"We still had a young side then but only time will tell. I can't look into a crystal ball. "But I'm really pleased with the 'no fear' attitude of quite a lot of our players and to play top professional sport, you need a bit of no fear."
