WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids have received a major boost with the news that their NatWest T20 Blast overseas player Colin Munro is available to play against Lancashire Lightning and Derbyshire Falcons this week.

Munro has been called up by New Zealand for the remainder of the current one-day international series with England.

But the Black Caps have released the 28-year-old to play against the Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford this evening and the Falcons at New Road tomorrow.

Munro was not selected for the fourth ODI at Trent Bridge yesterday but remains available if required for the final game at the Emirates International Cricket Ground in Durham on Saturday.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes has named an unchanged 12-strong squad for the game against Lancashire.

Rhodes has kept faith with the side which overcame Durham Jets at the Emirates ICG last Friday plus all-rounder Brett D’Oliveira.

D’Oliveira scored a century for the seconds yesterday in a T20 success over Warwickshire at Kidderminster.

Assistant coach Matt Mason believes the next two games can have an impact on the Rapids ambitions in this season’s competition.

He said: “It is such a wide open group still in these early stages. We’ve just got to take each game as it comes.

“Obviously we’ve got two games coming up at the back end of the week.

“If we can get two good results there, then I think we are in with a good shout of finishing up near the top of our group.”

Worcestershire Rapids (from): Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Oliver, Kohler-Cadmore, Munro, Whiteley, Barnard, Cox, D’Oliveira, Leach, Shan - try, Saeed Ajmal.

Droitwich's Ashley Giles has named a fourteen-man squad for the clash with Worcestershire.

Lancashire (from): Bailey, Brown, Clark, Croft, Davies, Faulkner, Griffiths, Horton, Jones, Lilley, Livingstone, Mahmood, Parry, Prince.