WORCESTERSHIRE will turn the focus to their pre-season programme in this country after completing a successful 10-day trip to Abu Dhabi.

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes and the players flew back to England on Saturday after undertaking a mixture of warm weather training and match action.

The County ended the trip in style with a 77-run success over Middlesex in a 50-over contest.

Worcestershire also defeated a UAE XI in a T20 match and enjoyed plenty of worthwhile practice during 50 over and two-day setbacks against Derbyshire.

The squad will be back at New Road this week continuing their preparation work for the new campaign.

They will undertake 10 days of cricket ahead of the opening LV= County Championship Division One match with Yorkshire at New Road from April 12 until 15.

New Road will host the opening warm-up fixtures against Gloucestershire, a 50-over game on March 25 and a two-day match on March 26 and 27.

The County’s other three pre-season games are all away fixtures.

Worcestershire take on Warwickshire at Edgbaston in a two-day game on March 30 and 31.

On April 2, 3 and 4, paceman Charlie Morris’s former university Oxford MCCU will provide the opposition at The Parks.

The final pre-season encounter will be a two-day fixture at Northamptonshire on April 7 and 8.

Meanwhile, Moeen Ali is hoping his spell on the sidelines will only be short-lived after a side strain kept him out of England’s final World Cup match against Afghanistan.

The Worcestershire all-rounder underwent a scan in Australia and will be assessed again on his return home after England’s group exit.

England are due to announce their squad on Wednesday for the tour of the West Indies before departing on April 2.

Moeen suffered the setback when bowling in the defeat against Bangladesh.

He said: “I picked up a strain in my left side while bowling my sixth over.

“I felt something go and I was in so much pain that I almost stopped bowling halfway through my seventh over but managed to get through it somehow.

“It was a problem when I was batting too especially when I dived in for the run-out. That was the last thing I needed.

“I’ll need to have it looked at again when we get back to the UK before I know how long I’ll be out for.

“But – with so much cricket coming up in the near future – I hope it won’t be long.”