WORCESTERSHIRE start their Friends Provident Trophy northern conference campaign tomorrow (Sunday) with a difficult trip to Old Trafford to take on Lancashire.

Steve Rhodes will be looking for his side to improve on the third place they achieved in last season's tournament, which was played as the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

The New Road director of cricket was critical of the competition's format last year as only the top team from each conference qualified for the final, which led to dead' games between sides out of contention.

However, this year, the 50-over-a-side tournament features a semi-final stage where top of the northern conference will play second in the southern conference and vice-versa. The final will be held at Lord's on Saturday, August 18.

Players will also be able to refer decisions to the third umpire. The captain of the fielding side and the batsman involved in the dismissal can refer to the third umpire for the final decision. Each team will be allowed two unsuccessful referrals per innings.

Rhodes is set to take the same sq-uad to Old Trafford that has been playing Durham this week, however, spinner Ray Price could replace sea-mer Nadeem Malik in the starting XI.