Jos Butler has been named in a 14-man Lancashire Lightning squad for their trip to New Road, as they prepare to take on Worcestershire Rapids in a pivotal NatWest T20 Blast North Group game.
Lancashire know that they need to strike a late run of form in the T20 format to progress to the knockout stages, with their recent defeat against rivals Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley resigning Ashley Giles' side to their fifth defeat of the campaign.
The defending champions will be hoping for a similar result from the reverse fixture, as Lancashire achieved their second-largest victory ever in Twenty20 cricket when the sides met at Old Trafford at the end of June. Lancashire's 96-run win featured Stephen Parry claiming the best figures by a Lancashire player (5-13) after the Rapids fell apart in their run-chase, as the visitors were bowled out for 53.
Buttler's sudden availability comes after he and Lancashire teammate, James Anderson, were both left out of England's 12-man squad for the first Test against Pakistan, with Buttler now vying to prove he has something to offer in the longer formats, as well as his explosive hitting in white-ball cricket.
The heavy defeat suffered by Worcestershire in June was something of a blip given their general form in this year's tournament, given that the Rapids are firmly in the frame to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Sitting in third place on 10 points after as many matches, Worcester know that a victory against Lancashire could go a long way towards cementing their qualification from the North Group and perhaps a home quarter-final.
Lancashire's latest defeat against Yorkshire last Friday came in a rain-affected game at Headingley, with the Vikings edging a five-run win after Lancashire failed to chase 142. Despite Worcestershire's strong position in the North Group, the Rapids are without a win in the shortest format since June 10 when they beat Northamptonshire by three wickets.
Since then, the Rapids have suffered three defeats - including the resounding 96-run loss to Lancashire - and also two washouts away at Durham and Leicestershire. The hosts will have all the incentive they need to secure their first win in six attempts, but they will have to overcome a Lancashire side fitted with Buttler.
Nathan Buck is the form player in Lancashire's Twenty20 side, with his haul of 10 wickets in three matches including career-best figures against Birmingham Bears. His economy of 5.73 has given Lancashire strength inside the powerplay and Buck made early inroads in the previous game against Worcester, taking 3-12 to sweep aside the Rapids' top-order batsmen.
Buttler's inclusion means that loan-signing Tom Moores may not be required for white-ball cricket as often as first thought, with Steven Croft holding on to the gloves in the County Championship. Worcester will have international talent of their own at their disposal, with seam duo Kyle Abbott and Matt Henry offering a real threat in the bowling department.
Worcestershire 12-man squad: Daryll Mitchell (c), Kyle Abbott, Ed Barnard, Joe Clarke, Ben Cox (wk), Brett D'Oliveira, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Joe Leach, Matt Henry, George Rhodes, Jack Shantry, Ross Whitely.
Lancashire 14-man squad: Steven Croft (c), Karl Brown, Nathan Buck, Jos Buttler (wk), Jordan Clark, George Edwards, Rob Jones, Arron Lilley, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Stephen Parry, Alviro Petersen, Luke Procter.
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