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= Championship match against Yorkshire at New Road starting on April 12.

Skipper Daryl Mitchell and his players will face Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxford MCCU and Northamptonshire before the action starts for real against the 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 will provide the opposition at The Parks.

The final pre-season encounter will be a two-day fixture with Northamptonshire at Northampton on April 7-8.