Pears skipper D'Oliveira out of One-Day Cup final

Brett D'Oliveira is the grandson of former England batter Basil D'Oliveira

Worcestershire red-ball captain Brett D'Oliveira is out of Saturday's One-Day Cup final against Hampshire because of an ankle injury.

The all-rounder rolled his ankle while bowling in this week's County Championship Division One match against Durham.

He had to leave the field on the final day at Chester-le-Street as the match ended in a draw and confirmed the Pears' relegation to Division Two next season.

Pears head coach Alan Richardson told BBC Hereford & Worcester the 33-year-old had been "in considerable pain" on Thursday and was due for a scan on Friday.

Richardson added it would be "a huge disappointment" if he missed out but Worcestershire's fears have now been confirmed.

Saturday's showpiece against Hampshire at Trent Bridge is Worcestershire's first List A final since back-to-back appearances at Lord's against Gloucestershire in 2003 and 2004.

They last won this version of the competition in 1994, when it was 60 overs-a-side, beating local rivals Warwickshire and denying the Bears an unprecedented quadruple.

Worcestershire won six of their eight group games in the One-Day Cup this season, finishing top of the table, two points clear of Hampshire and beating the Hawks by five wickets along the way.

"We've played some really good cricket, very entertaining, it's been a really enjoyable experience," Richardson said.

"We had some good games against them [Hampshire] in T20 and this competition and they're a strong group. They're worthy finalists."

Despite the absence of D'Oliveira, the Pears' top run-scorer in the competition this season with 448 runs including two hundreds and one half-century, Worcestershire do have options in their 15-man squad for the trip to Nottingham.

Rookie batters Dan Lategan and Isaac Mohammed have shown their promise with the former hitting a career-best 78 in the commanding win over Somerset in the semi-final.

In-form wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick, fresh from his 151 against Durham, could come in as a batter with One-Day Cup regular Henry Cullen behind the stumps.

Left-arm spinner Fateh Singh could provide the slow bowling option if required with Tom Hinley also available to bowl left-arm wrist-spin.

Worcestershire's last major trophy was the T20 Blast in 2018 and, after narrowly failing to become the first club to retain the cup the following year, they reached the quarter-finals of the One-Day Cup in 2023 and 2024.

"I'd like to think over the years we deserve a final," Richardson said. "We've had our challenges in red-ball cricket and we didn't quite get there in the T20s.

"Everyone's worked incredibly hard to earn a day out and hopefully win some silverware."

Alan Richardson has been head coach of Worcestershire since 2023 when he was promoted from his previous role as bowling coach