New Worcestershire Club Captain, Brett D’Oliveira, continued his impressive pre-season form after opener Jake Libby had struck a half-century on the second day of the three-day game versus Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Vice-Captain Libby, the second-highest run scorer in the country in red-ball cricket in 2020 and 2021, struck 67 from 93 balls with eight fours.
He was second out at 117, and then D’Oliveira held the rest of the innings together with his unbeaten 56 from 105 balls with five boundaries.
It followed on from his 58 against Oxford UCCE in The Parks, continuing last summer’s superb all-round form.
Ed Pollock (41) and keeper Ben Cox (26) were the other main contributors as Worcestershire totalled 238 all out in 73 overs in reply to Warwickshire 243-5 declared.
In reply, Ben Gibbon claimed the one wicket to fall in the final session as Warwickshire closed on 90-1 from 26 overs, an overall lead of 95.
Worcestershire resumed this morning on 51-0, and openers Pollock and Libby extended their opening stand to 81.
Henry Brookes made the first breakthrough when Pollock, having made 41 from 54 balls with nine fours, attempted a cut and edged to first slip.
Libby completed a 69 ball half-century before he was trapped on the crease and lbw to Craig Miles.
Gareth Roderick (0) went similarly in Miles’ next over after moving across his stumps to a delivery angled into the stumps.
Worcestershire reached 136-3 at lunch but then lost wickets in successive overs to Warwickshire captain, Will Rhodes.
Taylor Cornall (13) aimed a drive and nicked through to keeper Michael Burgess, and then Ed Barnard (1) fell to the same combination after pushing forward to a ball that nipped away.
Cox helped D’Oliveira add 41 before he was caught at point off Che Simmons, who, with his next delivery, accounted for Joe Leach (0), who chopped onto his stumps.
Charlie Morris (8) edged Oliver Hannon-Dalby to second slip, and Gibbon (3) turned spinner Danny Briggs to short leg.
Adam Finch provided some late order entertainment with two legside sixes off Briggs before he was bowled in the same over, attempting another big hit to leave D’Oliveira unbeaten.
Warwickshire rejigged their batting order with Burgess moving up to open alongside Rob Yates.
The pair put on 81 before Burgess (45) fenced at a delivery slanted across him by Gibbon, with Pollock holding onto the chance at first slip.
Yates ended the day unbeaten on 42, and the Worcestershire bowling figures were Leach 5-2-7-0, Gibbon 6-0-23-1, Morris 4-1-21-0, Barnard 5-1-18-0, Finch 5-0-19-0 and D’Oliveira 1-0-1-0.
