Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell hit a half century on the opening day of the two day clash with local rivals Warwickshire in the main Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The County opener finished the day unbeaten on 55 from 84 balls with nine fours as Worcestershire closed on 111-2 from 30 overs.
Brett D'Oliveira and Joe Clarke were the two wickets to fall with Alexei Kervezee on four the other not out batsman.
D'Oliveira, who opened the innings with Mitchell, was caught by keeper Tim Ambrose off paceman Keith Barker for 12.
Joe Clarke, who was part of the England Lions squad in the UAE this winter, made 30 before he fell to the same combination.
Ambrose – like Mitchell at New Road – has been awarded a deserved benefit for the 2016 campaign.
Earlier Warwickshire had batted to tea in making 300-5 from the agreed 60 overs.
Openers Varun Chopra (77) and Ian Westwood (79) put on 161-0 off 30 overs during the morning session on a pitch which was good for batting once the early moisture had disappeared before both retiring out.
After lunch, Ian Bell made 30 before also retiring out but then Worcestershire enjoyed two breakthroughs.
Ben Twohig trapped former England batsman Jonathan Trott lbw for 28 and fellow spinner Brett D'Oliviera induced Sam Hain to edge a catch behind – also on 28.
On the second day Worcestershire will bat for 60 overs before the Bears go into bat again after tea for the final 30 overs.
WARWICKSHIRE – first innings
Chopra retired out 77
Westwood retired out 79
Bell retired out 30
Trott lbw Twohig 28
Hain c Cox b D'Oliveira 28
Ambrose not out 46
Clarke not out 0
Extras 10
Total (for 5 wickets) 300 in 60 overs
FOW: 161, 161, 220, 227 (Trott), 300 (Hain)
Bowling
Morris 10-1-34-0
Leach 10-2-49-0
Barnard 9-0-50-0
Shantry 10-0-55-0
D'Oliveira 9-0-52-1
Kervezee 6-1-29-0
Twohig 6-2-25-1
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WORCESTERSHIRE – first innings
Mitchell not out 55
D'Oliveira c Ambrose b Barker 12
Clarke c Ambroseb Barker 30
Kervezee not out 4
Extras 10
Total (for 2 wickets) 111 in 30 overs
FOW: 23, 102
Bowling
Barker 9-2-17-2
Wright 7-1-28-0
Jones 5-0-27-0
Clarke 4-1-13-0
Poysden 5-1-32-0
