OVERSEAS player John Hastings is urging his Worcestershire team-mates to play hard but fair on the field.

Hastings wants to lead from the front alongside all-rounder Joe Leach who has been appointed County captain for the first time.

Worcestershire travel to Glamorgan in their Specsavers County Championship Division Two curtain-raiser on Friday (11am).

“Hopefully I can lead from the front because we’ve got an exciting, young group,” said Hastings.

“In Australia everyone plays hard and really fair and I will be no different for Worcestershire.

“If I can impart anything on to the group I think it would be to put a winning mentality at the front of the mind and try to instil a lot of confidence into the young kids.

“Winters can be drawn out and long and the boys are ready and raring to go for the first game.”

The County will aim to inflict further pain on Glamorgan who were thrashed inside two days by Northamptonshire in their first Championship match.

“I played a one-day game for Durham against Glamorgan at Cardiff in 2015 and it was quite a spicy pitch,” recalled Hastings.

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes believes Hastings has recovered from a knee injury which he suffered in the winter.

“John is fine and has been bowling since he got to Worcestershire,” said Rhodes.

“The initial report we had when he got injured was quite a worry.

“But when the surgeon investigated he was very pleased with the state of John’s knee. It was a lot better than he first expected.

“John is 31 and generally the older guys don’t need too much time to rock up and hit a good line, length and rhythm.”