Worcestershire Rapids will look to get their One Day Cup campaign back on track when they host unbeaten Middlesex today at the start of the Blue for Bakes Weekend at New Road.
The weekend, now in its second year, honours the legacy of former player Josh Baker and supports the JB33 Foundation.
Reigning champions Rapids are keen to reignite their title defence after suffering their first defeat of the summer in York on Wednesday.
Left-arm seamer Ben Gibbon is a concern after he left the field before the end of the match against Yorkshire, however, he had impressed with two wickets on his return to the side.
Ben Allison, who was rested against Yorkshire, may well feature today as Alan Richardson manages the workload of his bowling attack.
Dan Lategan, who has been leading from the front, is expected to continue his impressive form.
He has scored 160 runs in the competition at an average of over 50.
Middle-order batsman Henry Cullen, who has also been in excellent form, will also be key for the Rapids.
Brett D’Oliveira, a former teammate of Josh Baker, said a victory would be a fitting way to honour him.
He said: "Last year was a very special celebration, and we are really excited to be able to have the chance to honour Josh again on Friday.
"It would be really special to win for Josh, but also his family, friends, and members of the foundation."
The Rapids are currently mid-table in the group and face their toughest test to date against unbeaten Middlesex.
However, the team is not new to this situation, having found themselves in a similar position last summer.
D’Oliveira said: "There is by no means any major panic - we have only played three games and just didn’t quite get things right on Wednesday, but up until then we have shown plenty of good stuff."
Middlesex, led by captain Ben Geddes, are the early pace-setters in Group B, having won all three of their opening fixtures in the 2026 Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Josh de Caires, son of England great Michael Atherton, has been a key player for them, scoring 135 runs at an average of 67.50 and recorded career-best figures of 6-35 earlier in the competition.
The match is set to start at 11am.
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