WORCESTERSHIRE are sweating on the fitness of Graeme Hick and Nantie Hayward ahead of tomorrow's Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy quarter-final against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Star batsman Hick has a damaged hand, paceman Hayward is battling to overcome an ankle problem, while opener Stephen Peters is definitely ruled out with a finger injury.

Hick was having an X-ray today to discover the extent of the damage he received to his left hand while batting in yesterday's National League division one defeat against Glamorgan at Swansea.

Hayward is regarded as having a 'strong chance' of playing tomorrow despite his ankle swelling after landing awkwardly in a foothole during Worcestershire's nine wicket win against Somerset at Bath which took them to the top of the Frizzell County Championship division two table.

Peters picked up his injury in the same game and is unlikely to be fit until later in the week.

Hayward and Kadeer Ali are included in the 13-strong squad which contains the 11 players who faced Glamorgan yesterday.

Worcestershire's director of cricket Tom Moody said of tomorrow's showdown: "It's another big game for us. It's a shame it's not at New Road as we would have loved to have played in front of our home crowd. But, hopefully, we'll have a semi-final at Worcester.

"From a cricketing point of view it's good to play Leicester away and the form we are in at the moment I think, so long as everything is in order, we'll be quite confident."

The clash gives New Road skipper Ben Smith the chance to go head to head against his former county.

He was part of Leicestershire's team which triumphed by 118 runs against Worcestershire at New Road in a quarter-final showdown in 2001.

Leicestershire went on to reach the final when they were beaten by 41 runs against Somerset.

Smith said: "I've got a couple of trips there this year, one in the National League and this one in the C&G, so it will be good to get back there and hopefully steal the honours.

"They have some experience and youth there at the moment, but no better than ours. Everything is coming together for us.

"Last year we couldn't quite take it to the end. Hopefully, this season we will work a bit harder and if we can get the results a final will come our way. To win a trophy would be magnificent."

Last season the County bowed out at the quarter-final stage when they lost by four wickets against Somerset at Taunton.

Worcestershire (from): Solanki, Singh, Hick, Smith, Hall, Leather-dale, Batty, Rhodes, Kabir Ali, Mason, Harrity, Hayward, Kadeer Ali.

In the previous round Leicestershire beat Nottinghamshire by 99 runs at Grace Road. Their match with the County is the only quarter-final being played tomorrow.

The others will be staged on Wednesday when Derbyshire entertain Surrey, Lancashire take on Middlesex and Warwickshire lock horns with Gloucestershire at Edgbaston.