FORMER Worcestershire spinner Matthew Rawnsley has joined Herefordshire ahead of their three-day Minor Counties Championship Western Division match against Wiltshire at Corsham, starting this Sunday.

The slow left-arm spinner bagged 74 wickets in 46 First Class matches for the New Road outfit and he will give a balance to the Herefordshire bowling attack.

Rawnsley, 27, also played 52 limited overs matches in his six-year spell with Worcestershire, taking 50 wickets at an average of 30.50. He is expected to line-up against Richard Illingworth, the ex-England and Worcestershire left-arm spinner, who now plays for Wiltshire.

The reigning Western Division champions will be aiming to improve on the hard-fought draw with Shropshire at Luctonians in their opening match and will hope that leading bowler Kevin Cooper has recovered from a knee injury.

Herefordshire from: H Patel, R Hughes, R Hall, I Dawood, C Boroughs (captain), K Pearson, M McCague, M Rawnsley, N Davies, K Cooper, S Roberts, M Horrocks.