Paceman Josh Tongue has been added to the Worcestershire Seconds squad for their opening Second Eleven Trophy clash of 2016 against Durham at Richmondshire CC tomorrow (11am start).
Tongue made his first class debut in the County's three-day match with Oxford MCCU in The Parks and earned praise from Director Of Cricket Steve Rhodes for a promising performance.
The 18-year-old is added to the players selected for today's washed out 40 overs a side friendly match against Durham at the same venue.
Second team coach Kevin Sharp is relishing the chance to see the County's up and coming players return to action.
He said: "These lads are going to be a year older. We've got a wonderful academy with some wonderful young players who will be given opportunities as well to develop.
"Last season we finished third in our group in both one-day competitions, just fell short of qualifying, when with a little bit more luck in one or two places and we might have got there.
"I am really looking forward to seeing them play again.
"You go through the winter programme and work hard and I really do relish matches coming around because I like watching them play.
"They are lads you get to know and trust and build those relationships with and when they go out to play it's great to go through that process with them, the successful and the indifferent days which you are inevitably going to have."
The incentive to challenge for a first team spot will be evident after the promotion of Joe Clarke, Ed Barnard and Brett D'Oliveira last summer.
Sharp said: "There is a big squad now who can play. If you look at the lads who have played in first team cricket, there are going to be some disappointed players at the start of the season.
"There are lads who want to be playing and won't be because you can only play eleven.
"The squad is becoming wiser and stronger and that's a great place to be particularly when you get to mid summer.
"You might pick up an injury or two and you might want to change your squad slightly for the different games that are coming up and rest one or two players because it is a heavy programme."
Worcestershire Seconds:
George Rhodes (c)
Josh Haynes
Dan Lloyd
Alex Hepburn
Zen Malik
Nick Hammond
Ben Twohig
Ben Tegg
Chris Russell
George Scrimshaw
Jack Haynes
Josh Tongue
