Worcestershire Head Coach Alan Richardson is optimistic Gareth Roderick will be fit for the final LV=Insurance County Championship match of the season against Yorkshire at Headingley and highlighted the importance of the keeper-batter in the battle for promotion.
Roderick missed the final day of the drawn encounter with champions Durham at New Road after taking a blow to a finger.
But Richardson stressed it was a precautionary measure and expects Roderick, who is Worcestershire’s second highest run-scorer after Jake Libby in the Championship this summer, to face the Tykes.
Worcestershire need a maximum of two points to secure a return to Division One.
Richardson said: “Gareth seems to be pretty good. We’ve got training the day before the game and he will take a full and active part in that.
“We believe he will be fully fit and raring to go. He’s a tough competitor and he was desperate to get out there for the last day of the Durham game.
“But it was felt the finger had taken a bit of a bang, so it was the sensible thing to do and we had Henry (Cullen) there anyway, and it was a great experience for him.
“With Rodders, his presence and not only the energy he gives, but his experience as well is vitally important to us. We are very hopeful he will be fit.”
Roderick is part of a 13 strong with Worcestershire having to make at least two changes from the side which faced Durham.
All-rounder Logan van Beek has linked up with the Netherlands for the ICC Men’s World Cup in India after a six week stint with Worcestershire.
Batter Adam Hose is ruled out with a broken wrist after being hit by a delivery from Durham’s Paul Coughlin.
Paceman Adam Finch, all-rounder Matthew Waite and batter Rehaan Edavalath are also unavailable through injury.
Leicestershire, the only side with a mathematical chance of overhauling Worcestershire, will take on Durham at the Emirates Riverside.
Richardson said: “For us as a group, and as a coaching group, we will just continue on as we are.
“The guys set themselves out to have a chance of getting promoted at the end of the season and it is something which is achievable for us now.
“It is always pleasing if you set yourselves a goal, and you achieve that, and it would be a nice way to finish the season.
“You hope that we can achieve the red ball goal we set out at the start of the season because the boys deserve it.”
Young pace bowler Harry Darley is part of the squad after making his first team debut last month in the T20 fixture against New Zealand at New Road.
Worcestershire Squad
Jake Libby
Gareth Roderick (w)
Azhar Ali
Jack Haynes
Kashif Ali
Brett D’Oliveira (c)
Ben Allison
Joe Leach
Josh Baker
Dillon Pennington
Ben Gibbon
Henry Cullen
Harry Darley
