STEVE Rhodes says Worcestershire may look to declare in an attempt to throw open their run-laced Specsavers County Championship clash with Northamptonshire at New Road - if they achieve their first objective of avoiding the follow on.

The County will resume this monring on 153-1 in reply to Northamptonshire's 551 all out and needing to total 402 to avoid the possibility of being asked to bat again.

Skipper Daryl Mitchell (86) and Tom Fell (61) have added an unbroken 145.

Rhodes said: "It is disappointing to be chasing such a big score really. Credit to the Northants guys.

"Anyone coming in at number 10 and getting a hundred (Chad Barrett) has done a great job. Jack Shantry has done that sort of thing for us.

"It is a flat wicket and I thought the two guys played really well, Tom (Fell) and Daryl (Mitchell) who is nicely poised for what could be his first century of the season for him.

"It would be great if he could make that.

"They have just started to get the ball to reverse a little bit and that will be a little bit trickier."

Rhodes added: "Where are we in the game? We need to get a big score and potentially pull out if we avoid the follow on.

"But that's easier said than done. We've got to get there. We've got nearly another 300 runs to go and that is ultimately our plan at the moment."

Rhodes was disappointed that Worcestershire spilled several catches during the Northants first innings.

He said: "It is disappointing and I can honestly say no-one works harder than us on coaching and fielding.

"It is like a disease, when you start dropping things. When someone drops one and everyone knows we've got to take every chance, then subconciously they might think 'I hope it doesn't come to me.'

"But that's the last you want with fielding. You want the ball to come to you all the time and you want to be able to do things and attack the ball.

"Maybe that's a reason why you get a few drops that go around the team. It's happened to a few international sides over the years and in the next series they catch everything.

"A lot of it is confidence, a lot of it is what I've just suggested. Maybe that is going through the team at the moment.

"It's something we spoke of at length today before the game and the players are well aware of it and how to get it right.

"Hopefully we can ride it through and get it right for the rest of this game as well as further games."