Worcestershire have announced their 2023 pre-season programme, and it will involve 12 days of red and white ball cricket spread over six matches.
After a winter of indoor training at Malvern, the squad will be practicing outdoors at Kidderminster from March 13.
They will then launch their pre-season games with two T20 fixtures against Gloucestershire at Bristol on March 20.
This will be followed by two games overlapping each other versus Oxford UCCE at the Parks (March 22-24) and Northamptonshire at Wantage Road (March 23-24), which will provide time in the middle for the entire squad.
It follows last year’s pattern when Worcestershire were in action away to Oxford UCCE and Hampshire simultaneously.
A similar formula will also apply when Worcestershire face Warwickshire in two matches from March 27-29, one at Edgbaston and the other at Portland Road.
The varied programme will follow on from the week-long training camp at Desert Springs in Spain for several of the players.
Many of the others have been playing abroad at various stages this winter in either international, franchise or grade cricket.
Head Coach Alan Richardson said: “We are trying to get a nice mix of red ball and white ball cricket.
“By the time we finish the Warwickshire games, we will have just over a week before the first County Championship game against Derbyshire.
“I think it is a nice build-up and one that is realistic for us.
“Fingers crossed, the weather plays ball with us, and we get some time to have some practice outside.
“But for the majority of lads who have been overseas this winter, they won’t be back until we go to Kidderminster on March 13.
“If we do miss a little bit of cricket, for those players, it won’t be the end of the world.”
PRE-SEASON PROGRAMME
March 20 – Gloucestershire (Bristol) T20 x 2
March 22, 23, 24 – Oxford UCCE (The Parks)
March 23, 24 – Northamptonshire (Northampton)
March 27, 28, 29 – Warwickshire (Edgbaston)
March 27, 28, 29 – Warwickshire (Portland Road)
