[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Four

Morning: And rather predictably, a Pears collapse to 127 all out meant it was all over by lunch.

Worcestershire LOSE by a hundred and ninety-six runs

The Verdict: Dreams of "doing an Essex" can go back on the shelf. Tempting though it is to find excuses for this first match in the new eight-team Division One against a side who might well challenge for the title this year, the fact is that the margin of defeat - a comprehensive one - could have been wiped off the board if the Pears had been at the races every minute of every session. Halve the second and tenth wicket partnerships in the first Hants innings, you knock off 75 runs. Keep Cox, Leach and Barnard from throwing their wickets away in the first Worcs innings, you could potentially cobble together another 50 runs between them. Take the straightforward catch at slip from the first ball of the second innings and get Kyle Abbott out quickly, you save a further 75. Worcestershire undoubtedly worked hard and showed flashes of inspiration on all four days of this contest, but lapses in concentration together with spells of being lightweight with the bat and toothless with the ball added up to some 200+ runs that were simply ungettable. Sadly, I fear we'll see a lot of similar weekends in 2018, but for now at least, we have the chance to improve on Friday at Somerset.