Ed Barnard continued his excellent form with the bat during 2021 before the Worcestershire CCC bowlers made inroads on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Derbyshire at New Road.
A fine knock of 90 from the all-rounder lifted his run tally for the County this summer past the 400 mark.
It is a figure only surpassed for Worcestershire by Jake Libby, with Barnard having now put together a maiden century and three fifty-plus innings in scoring 414 runs at an average of 51.75.
He successfully shepherded the lower order this morning as Worcestershire, who resumed on 336-7, added another 85 runs from the final three wickets to secure a fourth batting bonus point before being dismissed for 421.
It was their third 400 plus total of 2021 after bouncing back from being on the receiving end of high-quality bowling in seamer-friendly conditions against Durham and Nottinghamshire in the previous two games.
Dillon Pennington, Club Captain Joe Leach and Barnard picked up a wicket apiece as Derbyshire closed on 91-3.
Barnard had looked set for a deserved hundred until he cut a delivery from spinner Matt Critchley into the hands of Ben McDermott at backward point.
The England Lions player resumed this morning on 48 and turned Ben Aitchinson on the legside to complete a 64 ball half-century with seven boundaries.
He then pulled Sam Conners for four to bring up the 350 – and the fourth batting point – in 102.5 overs.
Alzarri Joseph (12) helped Barnard add 28 before he was caught at mid-off by Billy Godleman off Dustin Melton, who then bowled Leach (5) via an inside edge.
But Pennington proved a valuable ally in helping Barnard add 45 for the last wicket, and the paceman struck Critchley for a big six over wide long-on.
He remained unbeaten on 24 until Barnard’s eventual dismissal after hitting 12 fours in his 120-ball knock.
Melton ended with 3-76, and there were two wickets apiece for Conners and Aitchinson.
Derbyshire openers Billy Godleman and Brooke Guest were due to face one over before lunch, but rain intervened, and only eight balls were possible in a brief interlude during a four-hour break from the action.
Play eventually restarted at 4.55 with 29.4 overs remaining, and Pennington made a quick breakthrough when Godleman on 10 edged to Tom Fell, who had switched from third to first slip.
Leach then struck as Guest turned a delivery off his legs, and Ross Whiteley pulled off a superb catch at square leg to end his knock on 20.
It became 58-3 in the 16th over when Barnard trapped Leus du Plooy (7) lbw.
