Kashif Ali, Worcestershire’s leading run-scorer in Vitality County Championship cricket this summer, is one of four senior players back available after injury for the meeting with Kent at Visit Worcestershire New Road which gets underway on Thursday.
Kashif has scored 613 Championship runs at an average of 61.30 with two centuries and four fifties in 11 innings.
He scored a superb 76 not out in Worcestershire’s last Championship appearance in early July, the win over Durham at Seat Unique Riverside.
Kashif has been side-lined for the past six weeks with a side strain and missed the successful Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign when Worcestershire reached the quarter-finals.
Head Coach Alan Richardson confirmed he is fit to face Kent with Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira (shoulder) and pace duo Joe Leach and Adam Finch also set to return.
New signing, New Zealand pace bowler James Hartshorn, is also in contention to face Kent.
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Richardson said: “Kashif has settled into that number three spot really well.
“It does seem a lifetime ago but our last game in red ball cricket was against Durham at Chester le Street and he played remarkably well to help us win that game.
“We ask for match winning performances and certainly it felt like one from Kashif that day.
“It is exciting to have Kashif back. He loves his cricket. He would have hated missing as much as he has.
“Again, someone with some real energy and an opportunity for him to get back on the field for us.
“He came over and joined us at Edgbaston on Friday, had a net there and been practicing really well for a while now.
“We are really confident he will come back into things in a good spot.”
D’Oliveira has been having extensive rehab to his shoulder problem during the One Day Cup before making his playing come back for Ombersley in the Birmingham and District Premier League at the weekend.
Richardson said: “It’s been an incredibly frustrating season for Dolly but one he has done remarkably well to get through so far.
“He’s had to miss some games in the Championship, a couple in the T20s and then a decision was made to give himself a chance to help with his shoulder going into these last five matches.
“His impact, you can’t really put a measure on it in terms of how he leads the side and the balance he gives us.
“Yes, Dolly will be back, Finchy is going to be in and around, Joe Leach is going to be in and around, Kashif Ali as well.
“We are going to be given some fresh energy within that, some new faces reintegrating themselves back into the group, which makes it exciting for us.”
Worcestershire will end the season with five Championship games in six weeks in a similar schedule to when they kicked off the season in April.
Richardson said: “It’s no different to at the start of the year and whenever I talk about it’s always pretty hectic. I know in the years gone by, they will say they used to play more cricket and I get that.
“The intensity levels of it and the expectations have changed a little bit but we have a nice period coming up. We have two games and then a week off and then we get back into the last three.
“We knew this at the start when the fixtures came out back in November so it is something we should be really looking forward to.”
Adam Hose also returns to red ball action after his spell at The Hundred with Northern Superchargers and his second innings half century during a stand of 129 with Kashif was also crucial in the win at Durham.
