Skipper Wes Durston returns for Derbyshire Falcons' T20 Blast match

Derbyshire Falcons have been boosted by the return of key man Wes Durston, after five weeks out with injury, for their next NatWest T20 Blast match against Worcestershire Rapids tomorrow (Friday).
BACK AT THE HELM -- Derbyshire Falcons' NatWest T20 Blast skipper Wes Durston returns after injury tomorrow.BACK AT THE HELM -- Derbyshire Falcons' NatWest T20 Blast skipper Wes Durston returns after injury tomorrow.
BACK AT THE HELM -- Derbyshire Falcons' NatWest T20 Blast skipper Wes Durston returns after injury tomorrow.

All-rounder Durston has not featured for the Falcons since the fixture versus Northamptonshire Steelbacks at the backend of May, with Alex Hughes filling in as skipper in his absence. In the two games he has played this term, he hit a total of 77 runs off just 39 balls.

The 13-man squad also sees a return to first-team action for Tom Milnes, who has had a spell on the sidelines through injury too. Both Durston and Milnes are playing in the Second XI Trophy match against Notts at Worksop today, ahead of the trip to Worcester.

Falcons take on Worcestershire with confidence, having defeated their hosts in the Royal London One-Day Cup in early June, thanks to a superb century from Hamish Rutherford and important contributions from Wayne Madsen and Neil Broom.

Durston said: “We look forward to the game on Friday night. It is always a tough place to go, but we’ve got confidence that we’ve beaten them there this year in the 50-over competition.

“On a personal note, the last five weeks have been very hard. It was very frustrating to deal with a side-strain. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for me. I have watched all the games that have been played in that time and I can’t wait to get back out on the field.”

The match at Worcester will be played under the banner of #YELL4FELL to help fight the battle against cancer after Rapids batsman Tom Fell underwent successful surgery for testicular cancer. Supporters are encouraged to wear yellow to show their support for the cause and help turn New Road yellow.

As for the Rapids, the introduction of South Africa seamer Kyle Abbott is sure to provide a boost after successive defeats in their last two NatWest T20 Blast fixtures.

They still sit third in the North Group after enjoying a particularly strong start to the T20 season with Tom Kohler-Cadmore striking a stunning 127 off 54 balls in their opening win over Durham Jets in May.

Worcestershire’s director of cricket Steve Rhodes is looking for a positive response after their recent drubbing against Lancashire Lightning when the Rapids were bowled out for only 53 – their lowest ever T20 total.

Rhodes said: “It was a one-off. It was a bad day at the office and we will be doing our utmost to bounce back. We will be pushing for a better performance.”