WORCESTERSHIRE will be without injured Graeme Hick for up to six weeks.

News of his lengthy lay-off was confirmed shortly before the County opened their Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy quarter- final against Leicestershire at Grace Road today.

Hick has broken a bone in his left hand after suffering a stinging blow from a Michael Kasprowicz delivery during Sunday's National League Division One defeat against Glamorgan at Swansea.

The County's record breaking batsman had an X-ray yesterday and initial reports suggest he could be sidelined for between four to six weeks.

Hick is one of a number of casualties the County have picked up recently.

Pace star Nantie Hayward also missed today's clash because of an ankle injury he suffered in the Frizzell County Championship Division Two victory over Somerset at Bath last week.

Opening batsman Stephen Peters also missed out today because of a finger injury sustained in the same match.

The current New Road casualty list also includes reserve wicketkeeper James Pipe (eye) and paceman Chris Liptrot (split finger webbing).

Worcestershire made just one change from the team that played at Swansea with young batsman Kadeer Ali coming in for the luckless Hick.

New Road skipper Ben Smith, a former Grace Road player, said: "We haven't forgotten that Kadeer got a superb 50 against Leicestershire in last season's final National League game.

"That will really help him knowing he can score runs against their attack. In any case, it is time to show the real depth we have."

Leicestershire: V Sehwag, J K Maunders, D I Stevens, B J Hodge, D L Maddy, P A Nixon, J M Snape, P A J DeFreitas, C E Dagnall, J O Grove, D S Brignull.

Worcestershire: A Singh, V So-lanki, Kadeer Ali, B F Smith, A Hall, D A Leatherdale, G J Batty, S J Rhodes, Kabir Ali, M S Mason, M A Harrity.

Umpires: T E Jesty and A A Jones.

Vikram Solanki and Anurag Singh launched the County's innings against the pace attack of Phil DeFreitas and Charlie Dagnall.

Solanki confidently got off the mark by clipping DeFreitas to the boundary in his opening over.

Dagnall's first delivery prompted an unsuccessful appeal for lbw against Singh who went on to open his account with a leisurely single.

Both batsmen, however, were experiencing some anxious moments in the early stages when the ground began being enveloped by dark threatening clouds.

Leicestershire, however, struck the first blow in the fourth over when Solanki, on four, offered a comfortable catch to DeFreitas at mid-on off a short, wide delivery from Dagnall.

His quick-fire departure, with the County score on nine, enabled Kadeer to join Singh and take the County into double figures.

Worcestershire continued to make slow progress and had moved on to just 21-1 after 10 overs.