A WEAKENED Worcestershire were on the back foot in their Frizzell County Championship Division Two fixture against Essex today.

The visitors showed plenty of attacking purpose at New Road to reach 133-2 from 31 overs just before lunch.

Opener Will Jefferson smashed three huge sixes off spinner Ray Price to reach an unbeaten 75.

The first Essex wicket to fall came in the 18th over when Alastair Cook gave Daryl Mitchell a catch at square leg.

Seamer Kabir Ali kept the delivery full and Cook's aimless shot was gobbled up when he was on 35.

Young left-arm seamer Stuart Wedge then claimed his first ever Championship wicket on his debut, enticing Ravinder Bopara (13) into an edge to Ben Smith at first slip.

Mitchell and Wedge were selected in an inexperienced County line-up that excluded both overseas players.

West Indian opener Chris Gayle was omitted with a groin problem, while pace trio Nadeem Malik (ribs), Shoaib Akhtar (flu) and Matt Mason (shoulder) were also out.

Worcestershire will be hoping that all four players make a speedy recover ahead of their biggest match of the season on Sunday, when Lancashire arrive at New Road for a totesport League relegation decider.

David Wigley, linked with a move to Northamptonshire, came in for only his fourth Championship match of the season and Price kept his place to partner Gareth Batty in the spin department.

Jefferson was a man in a hurry, taking advantage of the short boundaries and reaching his half-century from 68 balls that included seven fours and two sixes.

Jefferson's opening partnership with Cook yielded 55 and then 49 was added with Bopara.

Fourth-placed Essex, who like Worcestershire have no chance of promotion from Division Two, entered the Championship match without former England pace bowler Darren Gough and and Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower.