KEVIN Sharp wants Worcestershire to play without fear this summer.

The County's new head coach revealed he has a “good feeling” about the squad and the challenges that lie ahead in Specsavers County Championship Division One.

Sharp is gearing up for his first campaign at the helm after skipper Joe Leach and the players sealed a return to the top flight as Division Two champions last September.

He is in charge of a squad still young in years but more importantly experienced in terms of the senior cricket under their belts.

Most of the players have also tasted Division One cricket and in 2015 were competitive at that level before narrowly failing to stay up.

Sharp, whose side visit Hampshire for Friday’s Championship opener at Southampton's Ageas Bowl (11am), said: “We want to compete, do well, be a Division One side and build a squad that is capable of doing that year after year.

“That’s what these lads want — they want to play Division One cricket.

“I’ve got a good feeling about it. These lads have been around a long time now and the majority of them have played Division One cricket before.

“They know what to expect, they know that it’s going to be tough and demanding, but I think we are ready for it.

“After a difficult winter we’ve got ourselves into a good place. There is a really good feel about the place and the club as a whole and I think we are all excited about that.

“I want these lads to go out, express and enjoy themselves, play to the best of their ability, have no fear of failure and just look forward to performing.

“That’s the key for me. Fearing failure is a bit of a negative.

“I’d rather the lads have a positive attitude and love being out there and wanting to perform in the moment.”

Essex were promoted as Division Two champions 12 months ago and went on to lift the top-flight crown.

Sharp said: “Anything can happen. Essex proved that. If something like that happened, it would just be a wonderful thing.

“Yes, it’s good to have goals. You want to win things. That’s why you play the game. You want to win trophies. I think that goes without saying.

“The key for us is to make sure we get the process right on a daily basis, whether it’s 50-over, T20 or red-ball cricket, that we’ve got our game plans in place, know what we are looking to achieve and play it one ball at a time.”

Like most counties, Worcestershire’s pre-season programme has been decimated by the weather.

Since returning from an 11-day training camp in Abu Dhabi, eight out of nine scheduled days of cricket have been washed out.

Australian batsman Travis Head will make his first appearance for the County and compatriot Steve Magoffin his second debut after first playing for Worcestershire in 2008 alongside current opener Daryl Mitchell.