WORCESTERSHIRE Seconds will look to continue their encouraging start to the season when they take on local rivals Warwickshire Seconds at Barnt Green in a four-day fixture starting today.

The New Road side overcame Middlesex in their last four-day game at New Road and followed that up with a brace of T20 wins against both Somerset and Cardiff MCCU.

Spinner Shaaiq Choudhry will again skipper the side as he continues his comeback from a side strain which sidelined him for a month.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who has been left out of the side for the current LV= County Championship clash with Somerset, England Under 19 duo Joe Clarke and Ed Barnard, in-form George Rhodes and paceman Chris Russell are also part of the squad.

It was in the corresponding fixture last season that Richard Oliver scored 292 not out — the higest ever score by a Worcestershire player at second team level.

Second eleven and batting coach Kevin Sharp said: “We have played some good cricket. We had a four-day win against Middlesex, a very comprehensive win I have to say, by 12.30 on the last day.

“We outplayed them man for man which is a very positive sign and then we’ve had four wins out of four in the T20 against Somerset and the Cardiff MCCU.

“It is very exciting. We’ve got a young squad on the whole, yet they are growing and developing.

“To see these lads coming to the party and putting these performances together is great for the club.

“First team selection now is always going to be interesting and challenging because we have 15-16 lads who are ready to play first team cricket.

“That makes competition all the more exciting.”

Worcestershire: Clarke (wkt), Kohler-Cadmore, Rhodes, Choudhry (capt), Hepburn, Barnard, Fraine, Hill, Russell, Whiles, Rashid.