THE Worcestershire batsmen were again in good form and topped the 300 mark in the 50-over friendly against local rivals Warwickshire at the Zayed Stadium nursery ground in Abu Dhabi.

Daryl Mitchell and Josh Dell scored half-centuries for the second game running as the County amassed 315-7.

But there were contributions all down the order from Riki Wessels, Tom Fell, Brett D’Oliveira, Ross Whiteley and Ed Barnard.

It followed on from Worcestershire’s 293-7 in the previous game against Essex which ended in a four-run triumph.

Worcestershire spinner Ben Twohig picked up three top-order wickets when Warwickshire replied but the Bears triumphed by three wickets in the final over.

Wessels hit a quick 25 off 20 deliveries in an opening stand of 37 with Dell when Rapids batted.

Dell added 54 for the second wicket with Fell (33) before Mitchell came to the wicket and again looked in good touch after his 65 against Essex.

The third wicket went down at 140 when Dell (52) was dismissed and there followed a partnership of 76 between Mitchell and D’Oliveira.

D’Oliveira made 42 and Mitchell again got to 65 before retiring not out in his 57-ball innings.

Whiteley made 34 off 24 deliveries before he was run out and Barnard, in his first appearance of the tour, weighed in with 28 before the innings came to a close.

Craig Miles (3-75), Aaron Thomson (2-40) and Will Rhodes (1-29) were the Warwickshire wicket-takers.

Twohig removed Ed Pollock (57) and Dominic Sibley (50), who shared an opening stand of 107, and Sam Hain (60) but Warwickshire squeezed home.

Worcestershire switch to red-ball mode on Monday when they take on 2017 County Championship Division One champions Essex in a two-day affair at the Zayed Stadium.

The County will spend the first day in the field and then bat for all of the second day.

They travel back on Wednesday before a three-day match with Warwickshire at Edgbaston from March 26 until 28.

That will be followed by the final white-ball warm-up fixture ahead of the Royal London One-Day Cup against Gloucestershire at Kidderminster on April 1.