JASON GILLESPIE believes panic has cost Yorkshire four points in NatWest T20 Blast cricket during the last week.

The Vikings head into tonight’s clash with North Division co-leaders Worcestershire Rapids at New Road in danger of their campaign unravelling when they should have been on course for the quarter-finals.

Although there is still time to turn it around, Yorkshire could, and should, have been sitting at the top of the table with 14 points from nine matches instead of being in mid-table with only ten on the board.

In their last three fixtures, they have failed to chase down 144 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Saturday and just 124 against Durham at Headingley on Wednesday.

The latter chase was one which coach Gillespie described as “99 times out of 100 you should never lose”.

“Regardless of the situation, we always go out and try to be positive with the bat,” said Gillespie.

“Whether we are chasing 50 or 200, our goal is to be very positive.

"I’m a firm believer that you get into the best batting positions by looking to score runs and being very positive and playing your natural game as much as possible.

“I don’t think that complacency has come in, I genuinely think that the pressure was on and there was a bit of panic and we just didn’t adapt to that."

Added the Yorkshire coach: “Durham bowled well with the change-up bowlers on. (Paul) Collingwood is only medium pace, but he is canny, running his fingers over the ball.

“We’ve had two bowlers do that to us in the last few games in Mullaney and Collingwood. At important moments, there is almost a bit of panic.

“We’re making it difficult for ourselves without question, but we’ll be up for the challenge. Worcester have played some good cricket, but they are by no means unbeatable.

"We’ll go there with a real positive frame of mind and have a go.”

Yorkshire’s two aforementioned performances with the bat were all the more frustrating given their fielding and bowling against Notts, Leicestershire, a game which they did win, and Durham was exceptional.

“It shows that in T20 cricket, you can’t just rely on one part or two parts of the game,” added Gillespie.

“You need to make sure you’re across all the disciplines, and you’re absolutely nailing your skills because if you don’t, as we saw against Durham, you lose a game that 99 times out of 100 you should never lose.

“It is a mindset thing because it’s not a skill issue. Our lads are going out there having prepared well, and are practicing well with the bat in hand and doing all the right things.

“They are practicing with a lot of purpose quite specific to what they are trying to achieve out in the middle. The key is transferring that to a match situation. We have no excuses, we just need to be better.”

Yorkshire, who face a Worcester side who won six on the bounce prior to a washout last Friday, have named an unchanged squad.

Captain Andrew Gale is expected to play even though his wife was due to give birth to their second child yesterday.

Yorks 14-man squad v Worcester: Gale (capt), Bairstow, Bresnan, Finch, Hodd, Leaning, Lees, Lyth, Patterson, Pyrah, Rafiq, Rashid, Robinson, Sidebottom.