Shame Rapids form did not come sooner - Brookes

Ethan Brookes is Worcestershire's second highest run scorer in this season's T20 Blast with 323 runs including two half-centuries

Worcestershire Rapids all-rounder Ethan Brookes says it is a shame the side's current good form in the T20 Blast did not come earlier in the race to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Sunday's six-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes at New Road was the Rapids' third win in their past four games but still sees them needing to win their last match in the North Group to stand any chance of making the knock-out stages.

Brookes, who struck an unbeaten 56 off just 28 balls to steer Worcestershire home, said there was a tinge of frustration about the past few results.

"On the one side the lads are going to take a lot of pleasure and pride from it but if we'd have done that a lot earlier in the tournament it would've been a lot nicer," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"We can still qualify if we can put in a good performance in on Thursday so we'll see where we're at."

Brookes' match-winning half-century on Sunday was supported by a career-best unbeaten 18 off 12 balls from Henry Cullen.

The 22-year-old was playing only his fourth T20 game, 48 hours after signing a new two-year contract with the club.

"I'm really pleased he's staying," Brookes, who last month also penned a new deal, said.

"I think he'll be a great talent. It's still early in his T20 career but he's got all the shots, he's a real talent.

"I just think he needs the confidence in himself that he's good enough to play and this standard because he is."

Ethan Brookes (left) saw Worcestershire home against Leicestershire with the help of wicketkeeper batter Henry Cullen (right)

'We want to put ourselves in the hat'

That final fixture takes place at New Road on Thursday against Nottinghamshire Outlaws [17:30 BST] with the Rapids, four points points off the top four, needing to win and hope results involving the Bears and Durham - who have two games remaining - go their way.

Despite losing to Worcestershire, Leicestershire are still a threat as they are level on points with the Rapids but have two games to play.

The Foxes take on Durham at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday [18:30 BST].

Although the 2018 Blast champions' chances of a seventh quarter-final appearances are slim, Brookes says the way they've played in seeing off Northants, Derbyshire and the Foxes - with a 23-run defeat by the Bears the only loss in the four games - gives them hope.

"It can go your way one day and not go your way the other, so that's T20 cricket," Brookes said.

"But if we can string performances together like we have in the last games - I know we lost the other night [to the Bears] but we were pretty close - you know, the confidence is high.

"We want to put ourselves in the hat for the top four.

"A win might get us there along with other results and if we can win it will help us take confidence into the next block of games."