[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: The beginning of what promises to be a marvellous August week, and after adding ten runs to the overnight score, the third-wicket stand was broken when Tom Fell was adjudged LBW to Josh Shaw for 39. But the Pears picked up the pace, and Jack Haynes brought up his maiden first-class fifty with a smart shot to the midwicket boundary before perishing the next over, LBW to Ryan Higgins for 51. With Dolly attacking the new ball and Riki Wessels chalking up a brisk 19 off seventeen balls before lobbing a pull shot into Van Buuren's hands on the boundary, Worcestershire reached the interval at 336-5 with just eight overs remaining in the innings.

Afternoon: And what an eight overs. Going straight into white-ball mode, Dolly immediately completed his half-century as he and Ben Cox accelerated, scoring all round the wicket in a full-on assault. There were some truly rank deliveries to put away, but the armoury of uppercuts and reverse flicks alongside power-slogs down the ground pushed Worcs up to a commanding 428-5 off the allotted overs; a lead of 161. There was time for the perfect session to get even better as Gloucestershire lost Miles Hammond for 9 to Charlie Morris, caught low at second slip with a brilliant diving catch, followed at length by Graeme Van Buuren departing for the same score, LBW to Josh Tongue. 60-2 at tea, trailing by 101, the home side had it all to do.

Evening: And all credit to them, they made a good fist of it after the resumption, with Chris Dent and George Hankins digging in through five consecutive maiden overs while the ball moved menacingly. The run-rate picked up thereafter, and the partnership had advanced to a fairly comfortable 88 - with just a few overs of the day remaining - when Charlie Morris finally got a ball to move late on Dent, picking up the edge and carrying straight to the keeper. A huge, huge wicket to cap the day's efforts and ensure that Worcestershire again retired on top, with Gloucestershire closing on 135-3, trailing by 26. Time is now the greatest enemy for the Pears, and with plenty of batting to come, anything except a total Gloucs collapse in the morning will probably result in a stiff run-chase against the clock in the final session of the match.