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Worcestershire all-rounder Nathan Smith is to return to his native New Zealand because of a hamstring injury.

The 26-year-old from Otago, who was signed for the entire 2024 campaign, is the club's leading County Championship wicket-taker with 27 in seven games and has also played nine T20 Blast games.

"Nathan has been a great addition to our team and the dressing room," said Pears chief executive Ashley Giles.

Worcestershire still hope to have retiring former skipper Joe Leach fit for the final five County Championship games of the season - but coach Alan Richardson admits they are hoping to bring in another seamer.

"We are a bit thin at the moment," he said. "We’ve been fairly stretched as it is. So we're trying to get another seamer in who is going to be fit and ready to go. There are a few avenues we are looking at."

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Hereford and Worcester's Worcestershire commentator Frank Watson:

"It's very disappointing news, particularly given the impact that Nathan made early on and the fact Worcestershire have got crucial games coming up.

"It must have been a pretty serious injury that Nathan has sustained to necessitate him returning home.

"If we don't see him at New Road again, we'll remember him as one of the best young overseas players we've ever had."

Worcestershire hope that captain Brett D'Oliveira will be available when the Championship resumes later this month.

Despite surgery last winter, the 32-year-old all-rounder has been troubled by a persistent shoulder problem, having not played since the T20 Blast game against Derbyshire on 18 July.

"Since the operation he's had a frozen shoulder which we really couldn't do much about but he's now getting in good rehab work," said Richardson.

"It is now what they call defrosting. It has been painful throughout the season. He's done an amazing job to get through as much cricket as he has done but It's an opportunity to put himself in a really good place going into the back end."

Following last summer's promotion, Worcestershire are ninth in the Division One table, having won once in nine matches.

They have five games left to secure top-flight status for 2025, three of them at home, starting with a vital fixture against bottom club Kent on 22 August.

They visit Essex a week later before taking on neighbours Warwickshire (home), Hampshire (away) and Lancashire (home) next month.