WORCESTERSHIRE’S crop of academy players are undergoing a new look winter programme which coach Elliot Wilson says is testing all aspects of their ability and character.

The County have teamed up with Hartpury College and their own 'positive psychologist' Tony Ghaye - who was appointed by director of cricket Steve Rhodes last summer - to develop the initiative.

Ten academy members plus four members of the elite player group are being put through their paces with a schedule designed to benefit them tactically, technically, physically and mentally.

Wilson said: "I am really pleased with the programme we have pulled together and it is evolved from the last couple of years.

"With the quality of cricket we've had, all we've really needed to do was support them and provide them with high quality training opportunities whereas now what we are doing is a little bit more sophisticated.

"We have teamed up with Hartpury College and Tony Ghaye and we've pulled together a programme which is testing these guys.

"It is testing them technically and tactically from a cricket perspective, being really precise as to where they are physically, looking at their decision making and how quickly and accurately they think.

"It is looking at where they are emotionally and how they manage their emotions in high pressure situations, how tough they are, how resilient they are when the going gets tough.

"That really has been a fantastic addition to what we do already with coaching staff we have available, with the amount of time we have available with the players, and it has been a really exciting advancement in how the programme looks.

"It is quite sophisticated and quite exciting to see what we might achieve from it."