Worcestershire struggled on a rain-affected opening day of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire, but wrestled back some late momentum as Hampshire closed 146-2 before bad light stopped play.
After a delayed start to the day’s play due to rain, Brett D’Oliveira won the toss and elected to bowl first, with Visit Worcestershire New Road immersed in gloomy overheads.
The hosts’ bowling attack were unable to break the Hampshire opening partnership however, with both Fletcha Middleton and Joe Weatherly making half-centuries against a misfiring bowling attack.
Tom Taylor (1-23) and Ben Allison (1-32) gave the hosts some momentum late on as the visitors lost two wickets for two runs, as only 39.2 overs were possible due to rain and eventually bad light.
Worcestershire returned to four-day action at Visit Worcestershire New Road, looking for a second Rothesay County Championship home win of the season as they entertained Hampshire.
With grey skies and fine rain falling throughout the morning, the covers remained in place until 12:30, when a delayed toss was won by Brett D’Oliveira, who surprised nobody with his decision to bowl first.
Those inside the ground, however, were slightly less enthused by the scoreboard after an hour’s play, when Hampshire’s opening pair had survived the opening passage from the home side’s seam attack, as they eased their way to 56 without loss inside 16 overs.
After an extended period of absence due to the birth of his child, Matthew Waite returned to the Pears side and looked to create inroads early on and he and Ben Allison (6-2-19-0) challenged the batters with full, seaming deliveries.
Struggling to build pressure however, the introduction of the in-form Adam Finch of the 20th over sought to bring the hosts back into the contest, as he beat the bat in successive deliveries.
The search for wickets continued as the sun threatened midway through the afternoon session, but Fletcha Middleton brought up a composed half-century and his partner Joe Weatherley settled in in similar fashion, with wickets at a premium for the hosts.
As Hampshire passed 100 before the rearranged tea interval, Khurram Shazhad returned for the home side from the Diglis End, but it was to no avail as Worcestershire’s bowlers continued to struggle.
Ethan Brookes’ introduction failed to change the narrative, as the tea interval was reached with Hampshire 127-0.
Further rain delays saw play’s resumption delayed until 6pm, where 11 more overs were scheduled, in what turned out to be the most fruitful passage of the day for the hosts.
Middleton was the first to go in a frenetic eight ball spell, as Tom Taylor produced a beauty to catch his edge and see him depart for a very well-made 79, before Allison followed up the opening wicket with a second with the penultimate ball of the day, as Ethan Brookes took a sharp catch at second slip to remove the stubborn Weatherley for 62, as Worcestershire left the field for bad light in a far healthier position heading into day two, where they will be hunting an early breakthrough.
