WORCESTERSHIRE fans have the chance to play a major part in the outcome of the proposed Basil D’Oliveira statue at New Road.

The Basil D’Oliveira Foundation was launched this week with the goal of initially raising around £70,000 to commission a bronze sculpture of the legendary County and England all-rounder, which would be placed at the heart of the redeveloped new entrance to the ground.

As part of the fund-raising drive, the foundation will be organising a photo and inscription competition to come up with the design for the statue as well as the correct wording to go on the accompanying plaque.

Throughout his career, Dolly was the subject of thousands of photographs and the foundation is appealing for members of the public to submit their favourites, with the winning entry going on to be used as the inspiration for the statue.

To enter the competition, visit the foundation’s website at doliveirafoundation.org.uk for more information.

Foundation committee member Howard Nicholls said: “We are looking for that one photograph that shows Basil at his best.

“That will be the photograph that will be used as inspiration to our sculptor who will be designing and making the statue of Basil out of bronze.

“This photo will show him in a typical stance that best depicts his skills and love of cricket.

“We will be creating small limited editions of this statue which will, we believe, become very attractive to the cricketing community, especially in the UK and South Africa and one of these will be presented to the winner of the competition.

“In addition the winner will be invited as a VIP guest to the official unveiling of the statue ceremony and formal dinner.” Former Royal Grammar School, Worcester, pupil John McKenna, now a sculptor of some renown, has been commissioned to design and create the statue.

Nowadays, McKenna’s studio is based on the south west coast of Scotland, a country that is home to some of his most famous creations.

In 2007, McKenna set up the A4A art for architecture studio sculpture foundry where he started casting his own bronze sculpture and statues.

His commissions include statues of former Celtic manager Jock Stein outside the club’s Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow and legendary Celtic player Jimmy Johnstone in the Jimmy Johnstone Memorial Garden in Lanarkshire.

The sculptor is also famous for the 13-metre tall stainless steel sculpture of a miner brandishing a pick axe and lamp at Brownhills, Staffordshire — a tribute to the local coal mining industry of this industrial area — as well as a bronze statue, The Miner of Auchengeich, which is a memorial in Moodiesburn, Glasgow.