Worcestershire Academy duo Dillon Pennington and Adam Finch are back at university and school respectively after their exploits with England in the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Pennington and Finch have been on international duty with the Young Lions-Under-19s for the past nine weeks.
They participated in a Tri-Nations Series in South Africa before the festive season, helping England reach the final before losing to the host nation.
The pair then featured in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand with England reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Australia and eventually finishing seventh overall.
Pennington, who is 19 later this month, is the latest Worcestershire player – along with fellow paceman Pat Brown – to be part of a scholarship at Worcester University while 17-year-old Finch is studying at Oldswinford Hospital School.
The pair of them will continue their fitness work with the County but have a break from cricketing duties for the next month after their two months of international action.
But they will then return to action in March as the countdown to the 2018 campaign gathers momentum.
Worcestershire Academy Coach Elliot Wilson said: “I think if you had suggested 18 months ago that these guys would be going to a World Cup – yet alone doing what they did at the World Cup – we would have been surprised.
“The pair of them have progressed so well in that time. I’m chuffed to bits for them and their families that they have had an exceptional trip.
“Dillion, especially, has grabbed some head-lines with his performances with the new ball early on.
“But the pair of them should be very proud and their families, quite rightly, should be very proud.
“It was nice to see two bowlers from the same County opening the bowling for England Under-19s in the final game (against New Zealand).”
Wilson added: “It will be a challenge to them returning to their studies after nine weeks away with the Under-19s and the excitement of a World Cup.
“Also an Academy or Second Eleven game early season may not have the same intensity for them after playing in a World Cup.
“But those are the sort of things you have to cope and deal with – and I’m sure they will.
“The pair of them will have a break from cricket for the next month after nine weeks full on with the Under-19s but will continue their fitness work.”
Shrewsbury-born Pennington played in nine ODIs with the Young Lions-Under-19s – three in the Tri-Nations, one World Cup warm-up game and five out of six matches in the tournament – all of them at Queenstown.
Finch, who was born in Wordsley, featured in three Tri-Nations games and also a trio of World Cup matches.
