Ben Gibbon picked up four wickets to press home Worcestershire Seconds advantage after Rehaan Edavalath’s superb 164 on day two of the Second Eleven Championship match with Gloucestershire at Rockhampton CC.
The left armer struck twice with the new ball and then had another double success shortly before the close of play as Gloucestershire closed on 175-8 in reply to Worcestershire’s first innings total of 539 all out – still 364 runs in arrears.
Gibbon ended with figures of 15-3-60-4 and there were two wickets apiece for Reeve Evitts and Olly Davidson.
Worcestershire resumed on 328-4 and Edavalath extended his fine knock from his overnight 125 not out to nearly seven hours at the crease before he was finally dismissed.
Good contributions from the lower order, including a Josh Tongue half century, enabled Worcestershire to total 539 all out and secure four batting points.
They then made steady inroads with the ball and hold the upper hand at the half-way stage of the four-day fixture.
When play resumed this morning, Worcestershire keeper-batter, Henry Cullen (14), quickly departed when he picked out mid wicket off Adnan Ghaus.
Edavalath completed his 150 from 290 balls and added 70 for the sixth wicket with Tongue who batted aggressively.
The marathon knock of Edavalath finally came to an end when he was bowled by Luke Charlesworth and his 311 ball innings contained 22 fours.
Tongue raced to 52 off 56 balls with two sixes and six fours before he was caught at extra cover to give Paul van Meekeren his fourth wicket of the innings.
There were useful contributions from the lower order with Evitts (20) and Gibbon (27) both holing out to mid off against the spin of Ryan Kilmister.
But the last wicket pair of Davidson and Cameron Jones lifted the total past the 500 mark during a stand of 41.
Davidson, having made 38 off 39 deliveries, was bowled attempting to reverse sweep Kilmister and leaving Jones unbeaten on 14.
Gibbon then gave Worcestershire the ideal start when Gloucestershire launched their reply with two wicket in his first over, and the second of the innings.
Tom Lace (0) clipped Gibbon to Edavalath at mid wicket and two balls later Ben Wells (0) pushed forward to a delivery which left him and edged through to keeper Ben Cox.
Gloucestershire batter, Tom Boorman, then had to retire hurt on 13 after being struck in the throat by a Tongue delivery.
Gloucestershire recovered to reach 81-2 before Evitts bowled Joseph Phillips (22) with a fine delivery and then two wickets fell with the total on 115.
There was a second scalp for Evitts as William Smale (4) nicked a ball which bounced on him through to Ben Cox and then in the next over William Naish (57) was lbw sweeping at Davidson.
Gibbon returned to the attack to have van Meekeren (14) caught at fourth slip and Charlesworth (0) gave Ben Cox his third catch of the innings.
Davidson won his second lbw appeal of the innings in beating the tentative push of Kilmister (4) shortly before the close.
