Dillon Pennington is set to make his debut for Worcestershire Seconds in the three-day friendly with Gloucestershire Seconds at Cheltenham College beginning tomorrow (Tuesday).
The 18-year-old paceman is the latest in a long line of Academy products to be given their chance at second team level after being named in a 12 man squad by coach Kevin Sharp.
Pennington was part of the County's satellite academy at Shropshire for two years working with former Worcestershire player Paul Pridgeon.
He joined the Academy half-way through 2015-2016 and was then included as part of the 2016-2017 intake.
The six feet, five inches tall Pennington plays Birmingham League cricket for Shrewsbury.
Fellow paceman Adam Finch returns to the side, having previously played this season in the friendly versus Somerset at Taunton Vale and the Championship match against Warwickshire at RGS Worcester.
Ben Twohig is part of the team after acting as 12th man for the three-day Specsavers County Championship triumph over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Joe Clarke scored a double hundred in the fixture two years ago shortly before his elevation to the senior side.
Worcestershire were beaten by seven wickets by Lancashire in a Championship match at Northern CC in their last outing.
But Assistant-Coach Matt Mason, who took charge of the side for that game, was encouraged by many aspects of the performance.
He said: "I really enjoyed the week up there. I thought they played some fantastic cricket against a strong Lancashire team.
"In terms of the three day fixture, we showed some really good fight. At 140-8 at one point in our first innings, to scrape a score together (239) and only surrender a small lead was a good effort.
"Perhaps in hindsight, we would have liked more than the 260 odd we set them. We probably needed another 50 runs and also to have taken more time out of the game.
"We gave ourselves a chance. There were some great individual performances as well. Guys like Ross Whiteley showed why he is such a good player.
"Alexei Kervezee batted very well in the first innings but what was really pleasing for me was the effort and intent our lads had to win a game of cricket.
"They certainly play second team cricket the right way, trying to win."
Worcestershire Seconds (from):
Rhodes (c)
Westbury
Kervezee
Hepburn
Whiteley
Dell
Malik
Twohig
Dodd (w)
Brown
Pennington
Finch
