WORCESTERSHIRE County Cricket Club will launch their 2002 season with a home County Championship match against Gloucestershire, starting on April 19.

Their following game will be a Championship encounter at North-amptonshire, which will open on April 24.

The County's group matches in the Benson and Hedges Cup are against Gloucestershire (home, April 29), Northamptonshire (away, May 1), Warwickshire (away, May 3), Glamorgan (home, May 5) and Somerset (away, May 6).

After being promoted last season, Worcestershire will open their Norwich Union League Division One campaign with a home clash against Somerset on May 19.

Their first away game in the competition will be against Yorkshire at Headingley on June 4.

The County's full provisional programme of fixtures for the 2002 are:

APRIL

19 Gloucestershire CCh New Road

24 Northamptonshire CCh Away

29 Gloucestershire BHC New Road

MAY

1 Northamptonshire BHC Away

3 Warwickshire BHC Away

5 Glamorgan BHC New Road

6 Somerset BHC Away

8 Glamorgan CCh New Road

15 Essex CCh New Road

19 Somerset NUL New Road

21/22 Quarter-final BHC -

29 Cornwall CGT Away

31 Gloucestershire CCh Away

JUNE

4 Yorkshire NUL Headingley

6/7 Semi-finals BHC -

9 Leicestershire NUL Away

12 Durham CCh Away

16 Durham NUL Away

18 Fourth round CGT Away

22 Final BHC Lord's

23 Warwickshire NUL New Road

26 Durham CCh New Road

30 Durham NUL New Road

JULY

3 Middlesex CCh Lord's

7 Somerset NUL Away

10 Essex CCh Southend

14 Kent NUL Away

16 Quarter-final CGT -

19 Northamptonshire CCh New Road

28 Yorkshire NUL New Road

31 Semi-finals GGT -

31 India T New Road

AUGUST

4 Glamorgan NUL New Road

7 Nottinghamshire NUL (F) New Road

8 Nottinghamshire CCh Home

14 Derbyshire CCh Away

19 Warwickshire NUL (F) Away

27 Middlesex CCh New Road

31 FINAL CGT Lord's

SEPTEMBER

1 Kent NUL New Road

3 Glamorgan NCL (F) Away

5 Glamorgan CCh Away

11 Nottinghamshire CCh Away

15 Nottinghamshire NUL Away

18 Derbyshire CCh New Road

22 Leicestershire NUL New Road

Key: BHC: Benson & Hedges Cup; CGT: Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy; CCh: County Championship; CGT: Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy; NUL: Norwich Union League; T: Tourist match.