WORCESTERSHIRE academy duo Dillon Pennington and Adam Finch are back at university and school respectively after their international exploits.

Pennington and Finch helped England reach the Tri-Nations Series final in South Africa last year before losing to the hosts.

The pair then featured in the ICC Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand with the nation making the quarter-finals before losing to Australia and finishing seventh overall.

Pennington, who is 19 later this month, is the latest County player along with fellow paceman Pat Brown to be part of a scholarship at the University of Worcester.

Finch, 17, is studying at Old Swinford Hospital School, Stourbridge.

The pair will continue their fitness work with the County but have a break from cricket duties for the next month.

County academy coach Elliot Wilson said: “I think if you had suggested 18 months ago that these guys would be going to a world cup, let alone doing what they did there, we would have been surprised.

“The pair have progressed so well in that time. I’m chuffed to bits for them and their families that they have had an exceptional trip.

“Dillon especially has grabbed some headlines with his performances with the new ball early on.

“But the pair of them should be very proud and their families quite rightly should be too.

“It was nice to see two bowlers from the same County opening the bowling for England under 19s in the final game (against New Zealand).

“It will be a challenge to them returning to their studies after nine weeks away with the under 19s and the excitement of a World Cup.

“Also an academy or second XI game early season may not have the same intensity for them after playing in a World Cup.

“But those are the sort of things you have to cope and deal with and I’m sure they will.”

Shrewsbury-born Pennington played in nine ODIs while Finch featured in six.

England under 19s head coach Jon Lewis praised Pennington who finished with world cup figures of 38.0-1-156-6-26.00 and an economy rate of 4.10.

The ex-England and Gloucestershire paceman said: “Dillon led the attack extremely well.

“We gave him a very simple role to go out and try to take wickets in the power-play, bowl as fast as he could and just bring energy to the team. He certainly did that.

“He controlled the ball better through the tournament.

“I like the fact he has got a good bouncer but controls his length well. So I think there is a future there for Dillon."

Finch ended the tournament with figures of 21.0-2-82-4-20.50 and an economy rate of 3.90.

Lewis added: “With Adam, unfortunately he hasn’t played as much as he would have liked purely and simply because of the balance of our side — the fact we have chosen to play more all-rounders than out-and-out fast bowlers.

“But again he is an impressive young man, very dedicated to his craft, willing to learn and a guy who has a future ahead of him.

“Worcestershire have got a lot of good fast bowlers at the moment, about five or six who are coming through. The future looks bright for them.”