Unrealistic not to think about the injury - Hose

Worcestershire batter Adam Hose says it may take him a few more months to fully recover from the psychological scars of suffering a serious ankle injury towards the end of last season.

The 33-year-old dislocated his right ankle while diving to stop the ball near the boundary playing in The Hundred for Trent Rockets against Southern Brave at Edgbaston on 16 August 2025.

Play was stopped for 10 minutes while Hose was given immediate treatment before being taking to hospital.

After nearly six months' recovery - a period Hose describes as "a long journey" - he linked back up with the Worcestershire squad at the start of the year after a "fairly smooth" rehabilitation process.

"I think everything's gone to plan, touch wood," Hose told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"I'm just really happy to be back on the back on the park and hopefully contributing to some games for Worcester."

Now fully fit, Hose is set to face Derbyshire in Worcestershire's opening County Championship match of the new season on Friday.

And when he looks back on the incident, although philosophical about it, Hose said it will be at the back of his mind for a while yet.

"I think it would be unrealistic to not have those thoughts," he said.

"They are going to be there and I'd probably be lying if there wasn't an element of hesitation but I think that's what these few days of pre-season have been for - just to see where I'm at with that, see how it holds up and fortunately that's been all OK.

"I think, realistically, I'm going to have these thoughts moving into the next few weeks and maybe even months because it was quite a traumatic injury.

"But, fingers crossed, those do fade over the next few months and I can get back to somewhere near 100% - that would be nice.

"I would have fielded that ball thousands of times in my career, it's just happened one day.

"I think my studs did sort of anchor and the front foot slipped and I found myself in a pretty awkward position but these things happen unfortunately in sport and in life.

"I'm just happy to be to be back on my feet now and am raring to go."

Hose topped the averages for the Pears in 2025 with 684 runs at an average of 45.66, including a career-best knock of 266, which was also his maiden first-class century for the county.

But Worcestershire finished bottom of Division One and were relegated back to the second tier after a two-season stay in the top flight.

"I think if we're being completely honest with ourselves we probably didn't do ourselves justice," Hose, who signed a new three-year deal in 2024, said.

"We played well at times last year but we know in Division One you have to do that for long periods of time and we probably didn't do that.

"So to find ourselves back in Division Two was a tough one to take but I think moving forward, if we can build on what we did last year and be more consistent with that I think we should be well up there and contending for the title."