ALEX Gidman says the 11 players who represent Worcestershire Rapids at Vitality Blast finals day on Saturday will have “earned their place” in the side.

The County will not be far off full strength with Hamish Rutherford, Wayne Parnell and Brett D’Oliveira all available.

All three missed the memorable quarter-final win over Sussex Sharks at the 1st Central County Ground, Hove, through international commitments, illness and injury respectively.

The squad has yet to be announced but the trio will reinforce the group of players in contention for the Edgbaston showpiece.

First-team coach Gidman said: “Is it hard to tell people they are not playing? First, it is not completely my job.

"We help the captain pick a squad and then the captain takes onto the pitch the team he feels is right for those conditions and that wicket.

“It is not my decision who doesn’t play. We have a process we go through in all formats of the game but that’s part of the job whether it’s me who delivers that message or Mo (Moeen Ali) or Alan (Richardson).

“That’s part of the gig we all accept. But, yes, you are right, the likelihood is there will be some tough decisions to be made but we are in a team sport and the 11 players who start will have earned their place.

“If guys have been playing well enough they will have kept their place. If they haven’t then they won’t. It’s not rocket science.”

Moeen Ali heads into finals day as the leading six-hitter in this season’s competition despite playing just five games.

The Rapids captain has cleared the ropes on 25 occasions in the T20 this summer.

Moeen smashed six of his maximums against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston and 11 off the Sussex Sharks attack in the quarter-final at the 1st Central Ground, Hove.

That performance equalled the most by a Rapids player in the tournament alongside Ross Whiteley’s showing against Yorkshire Vikings at Headingley in 2015.

England all-rounder Moeen is one six ahead of Essex Eagles’ Cameron Delport who has totalled 24 from 12 appearances.

Moeen has amassed 312 runs at an average of 104.00 and a strike-rate of 175.28 — the second highest rate of the top 10 six-hitters behind AB de Villiers (182.19) for Middlesex.

Martin Guptill, who is unavailable on Saturday because of injury, also features in the top 10 six-hitters with 19 maximums during nine games for Rapids.

The County face Notts Outlaws in the opening semi-final at Edgbaston from 11am.