WORCESTERSHIRE all-rounder Brett D’Oliveira faces a fitness test for their crucial Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Kent, starting today (noon).
The England Lions player hurt his hand stopping a straight drive while bowling in the County’s Royal London One-Day Cup win at Notts Outlaws on Monday.
The 24-year-old is the County’s leading run-scorer in the four-day format this summer with 690 runs at an average of 49.29.
Promotion-chasing Worcestershire are second in the table, just seven points adrift of leaders Essex.
With just one promotion place up for grabs, back-to-back wins against Leicestershire and Northamptonshire have thrust Worcestershire into the reckoning.
“We will have to assess Dolly’s hand,” said County skipper Daryl Mitchell.
“It was a nasty blow on the finger, which caused a cut, and he will be checked over by the medical team.
“It’s another big match and we are going into the game after back-to-back wins in the Championship.
“It’s easier heading into this game with the energy and enthusiasm after two good wins in the 50-over competition.
“But Kent have some very good players with Sam Northeast and Daniel Bell-Drummond scoring a lot of runs.
“Darren Stevens and Sean Dickson are dangerous players too and we know we will have to play well to get a positive result.”
Pacemen Kyle Abbott is back to fitness after his foot problem.
Charlie Morris has also showed encouraging signs after his recent return to first-team duties following a challenging opening half of the season.
County director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “There is all to play for and we would have taken being in this situation when we started back in April. It’s all about being in the shake-up at the business end and, whether we manage it or we don’t, we have certainly given ourselves a chance.”
Worcestershire will have played eight days out of nine — and spent the other travelling to Canterbury — by the end of the fixture with Kent.
Rhodes added: “When you are playing back-to-back cricket, it is quite hard graft and hard physically and mentally but you don’t get half as tired when you are winning.”
Worcestershire (from): Mitchell, D’Oliveira, Fell, Clarke, Kohler-Cadmore, Whiteley, Cox, Rhodes, Leach, Barnard, Abbott, Morris.
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