Nottinghamshire sign Worcestershire seamers Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington

As reported by The Cricketer earlier this week, the pair – two of several players at New Road who are out of contract at the end of the season – are set to move to Trent Bridge in October on three-year deals

Nottinghamshire have signed Worcestershire fast bowlers Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington.

As reported by The Cricketer earlier this week, the pair – two of several players at New Road who are out of contract at the end of the season – are set to move to Trent Bridge in October on three-year deals.

Tongue has broken into the England fold in recent weeks, debuting against Ireland with a five-wicket haul before picking up five wickets in the match on his Ashes bow at Lord's.

He had other suitors as well, with Lancashire and Nottinghamshire reportedly linked with the 25-year-old, but he and Pennington both suggested that the pull of working with bowling coach Kevin Shine had played a part in their decisions.

"I've worked a little bit before with Kevin Shine, and he is a big reason for joining," said Tongue, "as I know he'll help me to kick on. He and Pete (Moores) have made it clear that they see me getting better here, which is nice to hear.

"The Notts squad is also full of international experience and I am looking forward to watching and learning from these players in practice as well as in games.

^{Dillon Pennington came through Worcestershire's pathway (Stu Forster/Getty Images)}

"Whilst I have had a bit of success recently which is really rewarding, I still want to keep improving and developing to be the best player I can be.

"I know that'll take hard work, but the prospect of taking my cricket to the next level is something I really embrace."

Pennington, a year younger than Tongue, was also a product of Worcestershire's pathway, coming to the county through their satellite academy with Shropshire. He represented England Under-19s at the 2018 World Cup.

He added: "Worcestershire will always hold a special place in my heart, and I extend my deepest gratitude to the club, my teammates, and the amazing members and supporters for always believing in me."

Ashley Giles, who only officially started on Monday as Worcestershire's chief executive, admitted that it was "disappointing to see two highly talented homegrown players opt to pursue opportunities elsewhere", with the duo opting to leave New Road for Division One.

"The club have made great efforts to find a way to retain both here at Worcestershire and, until recently, were optimistic about achieving that."

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