WORCESTERSHIRE have received a boost for the Specsavers County Championship Division Two run-in with Daryl Mitchell expected to be fit for the home clash with Gloucestershire from Monday, August 28.

Mitchell suffered aggravation to his hamstring when bowling during Wednesday’s NatWest T20 Blast encounter with Lancashire Lightning at Old Trafford and missed the match with Derbyshire Falcons at the 3aaa County Ground.

But director of cricket Steve Rhodes is optimistic the 33-year-old will be available for the first of the final four Championship matches of the campaign in the battle to gain promotion back to Division One.

Mitchell is Worcestershire’s leading run-getter in the competition this summer with 758 at 44.58 including four centuries.

Rhodes said: “He aggravated the hamstring and next morning when you have done that sort of thing it stiffens up quite a bit.

“But the medical team are very confident they will get him back fit and raring to go on Monday week.”

New overseas signing Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to arrive at New Road at the end of this week in time to make his debut against Gloucestershire subject to obtaining a visa.

The Indian spinner is in prime form after taking 17 wickets in India’s 3-0 Test whitewash of Sri Lanka.

Rhodes said: “We are hoping he will be here by the back-end of this week if he gets his visa in time which we are very optimistic he will do.

“It is just paperwork as is normal with guys when you are doing it on a short-term basis and is a quick signing.”