WORCESTERSHIRE are to return to Abu Dhabi for a third successive year as part of their pre-season preparations for the 2016 campaign.

The County fly out to the UAE on March 4 to play for five days and train before returning on March 15.

They are pencilled in to play Essex, Derbyshire and a UAE XI in a mixture of T20, 50-over and red-ball cricket.

Supporters will again be able to make the trip for an eight-day period. The Zayed Nursery Ground will be used for four days with one 50-over match in the main stadium.

County director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “We got a lot of value from going out there. It’s a really good camp for us and the facilities are excellent.

“The weather is brilliant and the company that look after the trip do a sterling job in being very professional and we’ve had no problems.

“It makes the season very long and I’ve thought about that and the lads might flag towards the end of the year.

“But we put in two very strong performances in the last two four-day games (v Durham and Middlesex), which makes me think we are fine.”