Worcestershire Rapids First Team Coach Alex Gidman has announced a 15 strong squad for Vitality Blast finals day and said: “We’d love to replicate what we did last year.”
The Rapids have received a treble boost as they look to successfully defend their trophy.
All-rounder Wayne Parnell and white ball vice-captain Brett D’Oliveira are both available after illness and injury respectively after missing the quarter-final win over Sussex.
In addition opener Hamish Rutherford is back with the Rapids after missing the triumph at Hove through international commitments with New Zealand.
The trio are added to the 11 players who defeated the Sharks with Jack Haynes completing the 15 and set to taste his first finals day experience.
Gidman said: “Blast finals day It is an amazing day. I hadn’t been there for a number of years and the atmosphere last year was so much different, better.
“Everything was 100 times different and better than when I was there as a player.
“It was a very enjoyable day. But the most enjoyment is by playing well and winning and then the day is unbelievable.
“I’ve experienced losing two days as a player and then they are not so much fun. We’d love to replicate what we did last year and then there is no doubt it is an unbelievable day.”
Gidman is confident the players selected to face Notts Outlaws will do themselves justice.
He said: “As a coach, you have to prepare the team as best as you can and accept that what happens once they get over that line is out of our control.
“I know the players will be really well prepared and they are very talented and I have every faith in them as a group that they can go and perform to the best of their ability.
“If we do that, we will have a really good chance. If Notts play really well and outplay us, then you hold your hands up and say well done to them.
“I dream – because I do sleep a little bit! – like the players and supporters about winning it again and it would be great.
“We just need to do everything we can before 11am on Saturday and let the players go and enjoy themselves and hopefully have some of those amazing match-winning performances I know they are capable of.”
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Worcestershire Rapids (from)
Rutherford
Wessels
Moeen Ali ©
Parnell
Cox (w)
D’Oliveira
Whiteley
Barnard
Mitchell
Morris
Brown
Pennington
Leach
Fell
Haynes
