With cricket still a couple of months away from getting underway on these shore, Worcestershire continue to be represented around the world.

Two of the Pears' overseas signings for the 2023 Vitality Blast season have been in action for New Zealand in their One Day International series with Pakistan.

Mitchell Santner made essential contributions with the bat and ball as the Black Caps won the second ODI in Karachi to level the series at 1-1.

Santner, who will be returning to New Road for a third spell, held the latter stages of the Black Caps’ innings together, after a major collapse, with a composed 37.

It helped New Zealand to reach 261 all out in 49.1 overs.

The left-arm spinner then made a crucial breakthrough with the ball, dismissing Mohammad Rizwan to end a third-wicket stand of 55 with Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

He ended with excellent figures of 10-0-34-1, and the Rapids’ other Blast overseas signing, Michael Bracewell, continued his fine form with 10-0-29-1.

Pakistan were dismissed for 182 in 43 overs, and the series is now level heading into the final game, also in Karachi, on Friday.

Elsewhere in Nepal, Worcestershire's Pat Brown was celebrating success over in the Nepal.

The Rapids' bowler, who took 31 wickets in the 2018 Blast winning side, has been part of the Lumbini All Stars squad, which lifted the Nepal T20 trophy earlier this week.

The 24-year-old, the Rapids’ leading wicket-taker in the Blast last summer, played in four matches for the All Stars.

It included playing a group match against the Biratnagar Super Kings on Christmas Day, in which Brown took the opening wicket.

His best figures were 1-21 in the win over Far West United, in which he again made the first breakthrough of the innings.

The All Stars topped their six-team group, won the Qualifier and then defeated the Super Kings by 24 runs in the final in Kirtipur.

Brown is now flying straight to Cape Town to play for St. Augustine CC in the Western Province Cricket Association Premier Division.

It is the club where Worcestershire legend Basil D’Oliveira launched his career and his grandson and current Worcestershire Club Captain, Brett D’Oliveira, also had a spell.

Over in Australia, Adam Hose was the second top scorer with 21 for Adelaide Strikers (108 all out), but they went down by nine wickets to Melbourne Stars (109-1) in their latest Big Bash League group match.