[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: On a sunny Tuesday, the hoped-for breakthrough took some time to come, and it was Ed Barnard who struck the crucial double blow to remove Ben Charlesworth LBW trying to work the ball through midwicket, then Gareth Roderick in the same way to claim his first five-fer of the season. Unable to stay out of the game, he also held onto a sharp catch at gully off the bowling of Dillon Pennington to dismiss Jack Taylor, and it briefly looked like the Pears might take a handy first-innings lead with the visitors still 66 behind with only three wickets left. Sadly, as we've seen so often over the last couple of years, the young bowlers were guilty of straying from their line and length during a spell when the game drifted away, and Gloucestershire had all but reached parity by the time Joe Leach brought himself back into the attack and took two wickets in two balls with Ryan Higgins caught behind for 42 and Josh Shaw bowled for a golden duck. Barnard polished things off by bowling David Payne for 43, but all out for 235, Gloucs took a lead of 14 into the afternoon.

Afternoon: But it was the familiar old tale when Worcestershire came out to bat, with wickets falling left right and centre. Mitch fell LBW to the first ball of the innings, and from there only Jack Haynes and Hamish Rutherford showed any signs of resistance as the Pears collapsed to 90-8 by tea.

Evening: Joe Leach was caught at first slip for 10 off the second ball after tea, and with a lead of 76 things looked incredibly grim. But a fruitful last-wicket stand between Charlie Morris and Adam Finch lifted first the score and then the lead up into three figures, until the latter was bowled attempting a big heave-ho. Gloucestershire required a mere 115 to win, and might well have gone for it in the time remaining, but some tight bowling - particularly from the youngsters who were rather lax in the morning - strangled the run-rate and reduced the visitors to 54-4 by close. On balance you'd rather be Gloucs in this situation, but after digging yet another hole, the Worcs attack has at least raised the slender hope of taking things all the way tomorrow.