Worcestershire Under-17s are strongly placed to wrap up a second successive victory in the Specsavers County Championship after another impressive performance from Ed Bragg – this time with the bat – against Devon Under-17s at Stourbridge.
Bragg followed up his figures of 4-19 in helping dismiss Devon for 129 by hitting an aggressive 92 as Worcestershire totalled 340 all out.
For good measure he picked up a wicket with the last ball of the day as Devon closed on 229-6 – an overall lead of 18 runs heading into the third and final day tomorrow.
Bragg struck five sixes and seven fours in his 106 ball knock but he owes a debt of thanks to last man Henry Marshall.
He was only on 35 when Marshall came to the wicket at 264-9 and the bowler ended on 14 not out and gave him great support in a partnership of 76 to extend Worcestershire’s lead to significant proportions.
Bragg was the last man out nine balls after lunch.
Earlier Pete Clark had not added to his determined overnight 64 not out before he was dismissed after Worcestershire had resumed on 196-4.
Wickets went down at steady intervals, including Rehan Edavaleth for 27, before the last wicket heroics of Bragg and Marshall.
When Devon batted for a second time, Matt Davis quickly had them on the back foot by picking up two wickets and reducing them to 7-2.
But staunch resistance came from Sam Read (87) and Luke Medlock (57) in a fourth wicket stand of 116 before both fell to leg spinner Josh Dickenson.
Davis finished with figures of 13-1-54-2, Bragg 11.5-4-41-1 and Dickenson 7-1-26-2.
