WORCESTERSHIRE director of cricket Steve Rhodes is urging his players to get off to a good start as the LV County Championship gets under way tomorrow (11am).

The New Road side head for rivals Warwickshire in their campaign curtain-raiser back in the second division.

The County are determined to restore their top-flight status and Rhodes says it is imperative to make a good start.

"The first month of the season is always important," Rhodes said. "In the past couple of years we have made slow starts and last year it ended with us being relegated. We must pick up early points."

The County's final pre-season friendy against Herefordshire at the weekend was called off due to a wet outfield and Rhodes was disappointed the game didn't go ahead.

The 50-over match was to be Steve Magoffin's first chance to show what he can do after arriving in the country last week as Worcestershire's overseas player for the opening two months of the season.

Rhodes said: "Steve has had no trouble is settling in during the short time he has been here. He has shown in the nets that he should do well on English wickets."

Magoffin is almost certain to open the bowling with another close-season signing, Ashes hero Simon Jones.

Rhodes will be looking for his players to continue the form they showed at Chelms-ford last week as they bounced back from a woeful limited overs display at Edgbaston.

"We just went through the motions and with friendly matches you want to increase the tempo to match conditions and put in 100 per cent," Rhodes added. "At Essex we looked a polished side and the intensity was back.

"We have had a good pre-season and we are hopeful. We have changed the squad in the bowling department with Gareth Andrew, Simon Jones, Chris Whelan and Mehraj Ahmed and they have all added strength to the side.

"We haven't looked too much at the batting, but Ben Smith has played really well in friendly games and I'm very happy with the quality we've got in that area."

Having played all the pre-sason friendlies Simon Jones will be hoping to claim his first competitive Worcestershire wickets after making the switch from Glamorgan in the winter, while fellow new boy Andrew will also make his County debut. But new signing Whelan must wait for his first outing.

Worcestershire (from): Mitchell, Moore, Solanki (capt), Smith, Hick, Davies (wkt), Batty, Kabir, Andrew, Jones, Magoffin, Moeen.