BLAST OFF! Australian pace ace Tye set for Steelbacks debut as Rapids come to town

The serial Big Bash League winner who arrived in the UK at the weekend and played for the second team on Monday, has been named in the 15-man squad for the Wantage Road showdown.

Tye claimed his fourth BBL title with Perth Scorchers earlier this year, claiming his 300th T20 wicket in the final in the process.

David Willey will also make his second debut for the club and skipper the team for the first time, while Chris Lynn returns after his sensational first season for the club in 2022, when he scored more than 500 runs.

Lewis McManus has recovered from his broken finger and is set to keep wicket for the Steelbacks, while experienced campaigner Ben Sanderson also returns from injury.

Former skipper Josh Cobb is fit and named in the squad, as is batter Emilio Gay, who will be competing with Ricardo Vasconcelos for the opener's slot alongside Lynn.

The Rapids have included New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell in their 14-man squad, fresh from his stint with Royal Challengers Banglore in the Indian Premier League.Bracewell only arrived in the country on Monday night, but is set to play.

They also include Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir in their squad, who is deputising for Mitchell Santner for the first three matches of the tournament.

Like the Steelbacks, the Rapids have a new skipper, with Brett D'Oliveira taking the reins.

One of their key men will be big-hitting batter Adam Hose, who has made the switch to New Road from Birmingham Bears.

Hose was the tournament's third highest run-scorer last summer, hitting 557 runs in 13 innings at an average of 55.7, and has enjoyed previous success against the Steelbacks.

The Rapids were winners of the tournament in 2018, but failed to reach the knockout stages last summer, finishing rock-bottom of the North Group, winning just two matches.

They were hammered by 73 runs in the corresponding fixture last season, with Lynn hitting an unbeaten 113 for the Steelbacks, while the match at New Road was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Steelbacks squad: Willey, Cobb, Gay, Heldreich, Keogh, Lynn, McManus, Russell, Sanderson, Sales, Tye, Taylor, Vasconcelos, G White, Zaib

Worcestershire Rapids: D'Oliveira, Bracewell, Haynes, Hose, Ali, B Cox, Pollock, Cornall, Waite, Mir, Pennington, Fuinch, Brown, Stanley