Worcestershire have finalised their pre-season programme and will play 10 days of cricket after returning from their trip to Abu Dhabi before the opening LV = County Championship match against Yorkshire at New Road starting on April 12.
Skipper Daryl Mitchell and his players will face Gloucestershire, Warwickskire, Oxford MCCU and Northamptonshire before the action starts for real against the reigning Division One champions.
New Road will host the opening warm-up fixture against Gloucestershire on March 25, 26 and 27.
It will be a quickfire reunion for Worcestershire's new signing Alex Gidman with his former county whom he served with distinction for more than a decade.
The county's other three pre-season games are all away fixtures.
Worcestershire will take on local rivals Warwickshire at Edgbaston in a two-day game on March 30 and 31.
Then on April 2, 3 and 4 Oxford MCCU – county paceman Charlie Morris's former university – will provide the opposition at The Parks.
The final pre-season encounter will be a two-day fixture with Northamptonshire at Northampton on April 7 and 8.
That will leave Director of Cricket Steve Steve Rhodes and his squad with three days to complete their preparations before the Yorkshire game gets underway.
The Second Eleven will visit Loughborough MCCU for a two-day game on April 25 and 26 and entertain Somerset in a two day friendly at New Road on March 31 and April 1.
They will also take on the county's Academy side in a two-day match at Kidderminster on April 7 and 8 and have a four-day friendly with Middlesex at New Road from April 21 to 24.
