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Day Three

Morning: A decent start following a minor rain delay, with 19 runs added to the overnight total before Ollie Robinson had Ben Cox caught behind for 61. Robinson also dismissed Dolly LBW for 31 to leave the Pears 296-8, but Joe Leach brought up the third batting point with a marvellous on-drive, and the bonus runs just kept on coming as Wayne Parnell got in on the act, thumping Will Beer's first ball to the midwicket boundary. Though the latter was eventually bowled for 43 by Luke Wells, the skipper brought up his half-century by pulling Robinson for six as Worcestershire made it to 383 all out; a handy lead of 128.

Afternoon: The day just got better and better for the Pears as the visitors crumbled against the new ball. In the first over, Joe Leach dismissed Luke Wells LBW for a duck, before Adam Finch got namesake Harry to chop on to his stumps for 4. 11-2, and the pressure continued as Ed Barnard removed Will Beer with a simple caught-and-bowled off a leading edge. When Wayne Parnell had Stiaan van Zyl caught one-handed at cover for 18, leaving Sussex 34-4, it looked like an innings victory within three days might be possible. However, not for the first time this season, injuries started haunting the Pears bowling attack, and soon Parnell was off with a hamstring injury while Leach toiled valiantly against a strain, and the visitors steadily rebuilt to 83-4 at tea.

Evening: The partnership between Laurie Evans and Ben Brown continued to be the bane of Worcestershire's day, and even when Ed Barnard finally struck in the last hour to remove Brown with a top-edged skyer to fine leg, David Wiese came in and kept the momentum with Sussex. Evans reached a fairly untroubled century as the visitors closed on 236-5, leading by 108, and suddenly an injury-plagued Worcs attack seems to be running out of ideas. The morning session will be key, and the Pears need to work quickly to try and claim those five wickets for around a 200 lead. If Sussex bat long and the lead creeps towards 250, this match will slowly slip out of Worcestershire's grasp, having looked so firmly in it at one stage.