Tom Fell at heart as Rapids turn yellow

One of the most heartening sights for Worcestershire has been to see Tom Fell back playing cricket after his double fight against cancer.

Now the county squad are to recognise the battle of Wolverhampton's Fell – and first-team scorer Dawn Pugh – against the disease.

It will come this evening, during the NatWest T20 Blast match between the Rapids and Derbyshire Falcons.

The match will be played under the banner of #YELL4FELL and Cricket Versus Cancer.

The Rapids players will be wearing a special one-off yellow kit with black bottoms and yellow coloured T-shirts to mark the occasion will be available for supporters to buy.

All proceeds will be split between various cancer charities. Fell has returned to playing second-team cricket.

He was named in the first-team squad for last week's Specsavers County Championship clash with Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground, although he did not make the final eleven.

Worcestershire bowling coach-assistant coach Matt Mason said: "I think it will be an awesome day for the club and I hope it is really well supported. It is something the players came up with.

"Obviously the news of what happened to Tom and Dawn as well hit the team really hard.

"We've gone through this before with Damian (D'Oliveira) as well so these lads have had some tough times in recent years when it comes to this whole cancer thing.

"They were really keen to do something and I hope it is really well supported. It should be a great day and I think it will be a real picture to see that ground bathed in yellow.

"Hopefully, we will raise some money for a really good cause and give Felly and Dawn a much-needed boost as well.

Vice-captain Joe Leach, who recently skippered the side in the absence of the injured Daryl Mitchell, said: "It is one of those things as a club, we want to support.

"We are a very close-knit community here, the team, a family club and, with seeing our own in Felly and Dawn go through a really tough time, it is nice to show a bit of solidarity.

"Hopefully it is not just us and it's the people of Worcester who turn out for them both as well and make New Road a mass of colourful yellow in support of them."

The clash with the Falcons will mark the home debut of South African pace man Kyle Abbott, as the Rapids gear up to playing two T20 Blast matches in 24 hours.

The players will not arrive back until the early hours of the morning from last night's clash with Durham Jets at the Emirates ICG.

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes is looking for a positive response after a rare off-day against Lancashire Lightning when the Rapids were bowled out for 53 – their lowest T20 total.

He said: "It was a one-off, it was a bad day at the office and we will be doing our utmost to bounce back."