GEORGE Rhodes and Josh Dell scored half-centuries as Worcestershire Seconds secured maximum batting points on day one of their opening Championship clash with Warwickshire Seconds at RGS Worcester.

Skipper Rhodes led from the front with a fine 77 while Dell made 60 as the Seconds topped the 300 mark and claimed four points after electing to bat.

Batting bonus points are achieved for scoring 150, 200, 250 and 300 inside 100 overs while bowling points are picked up for three, five, seven and nine wickets respectively.

It was an encouraging start to the competitive campaign for Kevin Sharp's side after they finished fourth in the North Group last season - a rise of four places on 2015.

Rhodes and Ollie Westbury laid an ideal platform with an opening stand of 131 in 37 overs.

They batted through the entire morning session without being parted and Rhodes completed his half century off 84 balls with 10 fours.

The partnership was eventually broken when Westbury on 44 was caught and bowled by slow left-armer Sunny Singh.

Rhodes was next to go 12 runs later, edging Mitchell Spencer to Aaron Thomason at first slip, and in total he faced 136 deliveries and struck 13 boundaries.

Number three Alexei Kervezee (15) was lbw to Grant Thornton who also had Alex Hepburn (17) caught behind by keeper James Sookias.

Ross Whiteley played some pleasant shots in his 32 before being bowled by George Panayi and Zen Malik (25) was leg before to Thomason.

But it was Dell who made the other significant contribution and he had reached 60 off 134 balls with seven fours when he was bowled from the final ball of the day from Matthew Lamb as the Seconds closed on 310-7.