YOUNG paceman Dillon Pennington described facing England star Stuart Broad as a “surreal” experience as he made his Specsavers County Championship Division One debut against Nottinghamshire.

The Worcestershire bowler collected his first Championship scalps when dismissing Nottinghamshire skipper and opener Chris Nash and middle order batsman Billy Root at Trent Bridge.

He finished with 2-51 as Worcestershire closed the third day on 43-0 after being set a 462 target.

“When I got asked to play this week I knew it would be really challenging and hard,” Pennington said.

“But I didn’t think it would be so mentally hard and physically tiring.

“In their first innings, we did 140-odd overs in the field and it was a big shock to the body.

“The standard and the pink ball is new and the pitch is so flat it’s been so hard to get any rewards.

“The margins for error are so much smaller, which I found hard.

“You miss your line and length by the smallest bit and it’s four because the outfield is like glass.

“It’s been a bit surreal batting against Stuart Broad – someone I’ve watched on TV all my life so to then be facing him was good. I enjoyed it.”