[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: Another wonderfully warm day, and it wasn't even four overs old when Worcestershire's innings went from bad to worse with Tom Fell dismissed LBW by Matt Salisbury for 6, trying to work the ball on the legside. Nightwatchman Charlie Morris was an inevitable casualty fifteen minutes later, nicking behind for 3 and leaving the Pears 17-3; a position not too dissimilar to the one Durham found themselves in at the same time yesterday. From there, George Rhodes and debutant Josh Dell donned their tin hats and dug right in, scoring at 1.4 an over to see out the session and grind Worcs to 57-3 at lunch.

Afternoon: The war of attrition came to an abrupt end shortly after the interval when Rhodes departed LBW to Ben Raine for 28, and with Worcestershire 64-4, Riki Wessels came to the crease with no intention of messing about. After taking fourteen deliveries to get off the mark, the new man at New Road accelerated nicely, almost doubling the score in the space of ten overs, picking up four boundaries in six balls and then smashing Liam Trevaskis down the ground for two sixes in one over. He brought up his half-century with little fuss, but the moment was much sweeter for Josh Dell, who completed his own maiden fifty on Championship debut by steering Chris Rushworth down to third man for four. With 138 runs since lunch for the loss of just one wicket, it was unquestionably Worcestershire's session when the sides broke for tea at 195-4.

Evening: Durham did fight back, breaking the partnership in the evening sunlight when a full delivery from Gareth Harte beat Dell's straight drive, bowling him for 61. There was time for Wessels to complete his maiden century in Worcestershire colours before he too departed, caught at midwicket for 118 off the bowling of Matthew Potts. But if the door had swung open for the visitors, Ben Cox and Ross Whiteley took care to slam it shut again, with the latter bringing up a half-century with a few lusty blows before stumps. Closing on 321-6 with a lead of 48, it was Worcestershire's day despite a difficult start, and the Pears will have twelve overs in the morning to reach 350 for a fourth batting point. From there, presuming there are still wickets in hand, it would be disappointing not to see a three-figure lead, and perhaps a 400+ score to pile the pressure on Durham.