Ish Sodhi marked his debut first-class game in England with six wickets for Worcestershire, and then opener Daryl Mitchell hit a fine 83 not out on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Warwickshire at New Road.New Zealand spinner Sodhi followed up his impressive form for the Rapids in the Vitality Blast by taking the last five wickets as Warwickshire were dismissed for 395.
He ended with figures of 30.2-3-89-6 – his best figures in red-ball cricket since his career-best 7-30 for Northern Districts against Wellington in March 2018.
It was the 15th five-for of Sodhi’s first-class career.
Debutant spinner, Josh Baker, emerged with encouraging figures of 22-1-73-2 with Club Captain Joe Leach, 17-6-46-1, and Adam Finch, 23-4-75-1, the other wicket-takers as Worcestershire claimed two bowling points.
Mitchell then hit his highest Championship score of the 2021 campaign and received good support from Jake Libby and fit again Jack Haynes as Worcestershire reached 152-2 from 59 overs by the close.
Warwickshire resumed on 245-4 from 77.4 overs, and the second new ball almost instantly rewarded Worcestershire Club Captain Joe Leach.
Matt Lamb edged a delivery he had tried to leave alone from the paceman, which flew just past the outstretched hand of Daryl Mitchell at second slip.
Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes also had a slice of good fortune when he inside-edged a leach delivery to the boundary.
The fifth-wicket pair batted fluently in adding 93 in 26 overs, with Rhodes completing an 85 ball half-century.
But debutant spinner Josh Baker made the breakthrough with his second wicket of the innings as Rhodes (60) was caught by Libby on the mid-wicket boundary.
The 18-year-old and Sodhi bowled well in tandem, and the New Zealand international struck twice in successive overs before lunch.
Michael Burgess (4) was bowled by a Sodhi delivery which turned sharply, and Lamb (44) pushed forward and was lbw.
Warwickshire collected a fourth batting point before Sodhi wrapped up proceedings with a trio of scalps during the afternoon session.
Jake Lintott (15) could only find Tom Fell at short leg, keeper Ben Cox caught Craig Miles (16) down the legside, and Ryan Sidebottom (1) went for a pull and was lbw.
Mitchell launched the Worcestershire reply with a flurry of boundaries in partnership with Libby.
He on drove Liam Norwell for four, and cover drove Miles for two successive boundaries.
The half-century stand came up in only 13.4 overs, of which Mitchell’s contribution was 36.
Worcestershire reached 68-0 at tea before Libby (22) and Tom Fell (2) were both lbw to Norwell and Rob Yates, respectively, at the start of the final session.
Mitchell completed an excellent half-century – his fourth in the Championship this summer – with a single off Miles. It came off 91 balls with five fours.
New batsman Haynes was back in the senior side for the first time since recovering from an ankle injury suffered in training during early June.
He gradually adjusted to life back out in the middle, and cover drove Yates for four as the 150 came up in the 57thover.
By the close, Mitchell had struck eight fours in his 187 ball knock while Haynes was unbeaten on 42 from 99 deliveries with five boundaries in a stand so far worth 79.
