[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: Wickets fell, but not quite quickly or cheaply enough to give Worcestershire much hope. Despite an early breakthrough from Adam Finch, having Billy Root caught at second slip for 28, Michael Neser continued to successfully shepherd the tail and put runs on the board. Brett D'Oliveira eventually had Timm Van Der Gugten caught behind for 19, Finch completed his maiden first-class five-fer when James Harris went the same way, and Joe Leach had Neser caught at point for 86 to wrap things up, but all out for 258 with a lead of 149, the damage was very much done.

Afternoon: And with grinding predictability, the Pears folded once more. Ed Pollock edged Van Der Gugten behind for 9 and Taylor Cornall was LBW to the same bowler for 4. After a flurry of boundaries, Jack Haynes also went LBW to Jamie McIlroy for 14, and though Adam Hose did a job moving the scoreboard on quickly, he chopped on for the second time in the match for 35. There was still, incredibly, enough time in the session for Dolly to be caught behind for 2 and Azhar Ali to be LBW for 34 before the interval came with Worcestershire 123-6, still trailing by 26 runs and in serious danger of falling to a two-day innings defeat.

Evening: Comparatively speaking, the seventh-wicket partnership worked wonders for Worcs, wiping out the deficit after tea and keeping things quiet until Gareth Roderick chopped on from Marnus Labuschagne for 39, but Matthew Waite and Leach stayed together until bad light forced an early close on 195-7, with a slender lead of 46. Frankly, the only chance we have from here will lie with a wagging tail putting on another seventy-odd runs and then making the new ball talk; anything less will spell out a deserved defeat.