WORCESTERSHIRE captain Joe Leach said his side's win over Gloucestershire is the first building block in a cricket style which could make them good enough to win the County Championship.

Leach says the County have “identified the right way to play four-day cricket” and the first fruits of their labours to put that into practice were seen in the impressive eight wicket win over Division One side Gloucestershire in the opening Bob Willis Trophy match at Bristol.

He said: "This was the first step of that being put into practice. We are going to hit speed bumps along the way, whether they will be next week or in the future, but it’s about how we consistently perform in the coming years and develop as a side.

“We’ve just identified what is the right way to play four-day cricket and we are working very hard to put that into place. We’ve been guilty in the past of playing ‘quick’ cricket and won a lot of games but also lost a lot of games.

“That doesn’t stand the test in Division One. We have had a long hard look at ourselves and it feels like we are moving in the right direction.

“We won’t get games like this every week, we know that, but as long as the process of what we are trying to do is correct, it will stand up to the test of time. We are very confident of that and for me, this is a great first building block we have put down."

Leach identified key areas including staying calm and sticking to your beliefs as things championship-winning teams need.

He added: "We’ve set our stall out to play four-day cricket in a certain way now and to win in the last session on day four is probably the most satisfying feelings you can have as a county cricketer.

“I can’t speak highly enough about the group. Everyone contributed to what was a very thorough performance. Even after those first two first sessions, I wasn’t panicking at all. We set our stall out to bowl economically, be patient and knew our rewards would come.

“To be able to look back on this in weeks and years ahead and say ‘this is how we want to play four-day cricket’ and for the group to see it work so quickly is really pleasing.

“Holding your nerve on the field, off the field is very important. We were very disciplined across all three facets of the game which is where we need to be.”