[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: With the most promising day's forecast of the match so far, there was plenty to do on Monday, and Josh Tongue provided early momentum when he tempted Charlie Thurston into an attempted square drive off the back foot which instead flew into the keeper's gloves for 21. True to form in a game which has seen wickets come in clutches, the next fell quickly as Saif Zaib tried to drive Joe Leach but only got a thick edge which was snaffled at slip on the second attempt for 23. It became three in three overs when Tongue removed skipper Adam Rossington for 4 as he edged low to third slip, and at 100-7 it looked like Worcestershire in the driving seat. But taking their cue from the Worcs sixth-wicket partnership, Nathan Buck and Gareth Berg promptly counter-attacked, and put on a useful 59 before Ed Barnard dismissed Buck for 32, caught at second slip. He made it a brace for the morning with Muzarabani also caught at slip for 15, but the Northants power-hitting continued in the meantime, and by the time Joe Leach finally had Gareth Berg caught behind for an important 45, the home side were 212 all out and Worcestershire's first-innings lead had dwindled to a mere seven runs.

Afternoon: After two strong performances, Jake Libby was probably due a bad one, and sure enough he departed early for the second time in the match with another poor shot, edging to first slip for 3. But that was the only joy for the hosts with the new ball, as the second-wicket partnership went hunting boundaries and found plenty. Things were looking cosy right up until the last over of the session, when Daryl Mitchell was adjudged LBW to Jack White for 39, and the Pears thus went in for tea 78-2.

Evening: Another solid start for Jack Haynes failed to become a big innings as he got a leading edge on a Zaib delivery and was caught at slip for 32. And again, the wickets fell in a clutch; successive overs from Nathan Buck saw Brett D'Oliveira caught behind for 5 and Riki Wessels bowled off an inside edge for the same score, and as play continued well into the late-summer evening to make up for lost overs, Ben Cox also fell for 2, caught at extra cover from a leading edge off Zaib. At close of play the Pears were 177-6 with a lead of 184, setting up a potentially thrilling final day in which all three results are still possible. And beyond the wider team game, Tom Fell remains at the crease overnight on 81 not out, nineteen short of what would be his first century in first-class cricket for five years, having battled cancer in the meantime. Whatever else the fourth day brings, I think we'll all keep our fingers crossed for Tom to get over the line.