Gareth Roderick completed his maiden century for Worcestershire and went onto hit a career best 172 not out on a rain hit day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.
Roderick came to the wicket at 69-3 on the first morning and had batted for approaching eight hours when Worcestershire Club Captain, Brett D’Oliveira declared on 454-9.
It was a superb knock and surpassed Roderick’s previous best score of 171, for Gloucestershire against Leicestershire at Bristol in 2014.
He reached three figures when he turned Timm van der Gugten off his legs to the fine leg boundary.
Roderick was hugged by the non-striker, Joe, Leach and received a standing ovation from his team-mates on the players’ balcony.
After the challenges of his initial season at New Road, it was a moment to savour for Roderick.
He was given excellent support today by Leach, who hit 87, his highest first class score since his century against Derbyshire at New Road in September 2016.
The pair put on 167 in 47 overs, a new Worcestershire record for the eighth wicket against Glamorgan and beating the 101 by Richard Illingworth and John Inchmore at New Road in 1982.
Ben Gibbon picked up two wickets when Glamorgan launched their reply – including Ed Byrom for 67 – but Worcestershire have experienced better sessions with the ball and the home side closed on 111-2 from 26 overs.
The start of the second day had two early interruptions for rain but Roderick and Leach were unfazed and continued to flourish after resuming on 285-7 from 96 overs.
The 50 partnership came up in 91 balls and Roderick’s seventh first class hundred was completed from 238 balls and contained 13 boundaries.
Worcestershire finished eight runs short of securing a fourth batting point and closed the 110 overs on 342-7.
Leach swept Ajaz Patel for his 10th boundary in the next over to complete an 83 ball fifty.
The eighth wicket pair continued to prosper in untroubled fashion and the shortened morning session realised 87 from 22 overs.
The milestones continued to be ticked off with 400 brought up in 124.4 overs and then a late cut for two by Roderick off Kiran Carlson took him to 150 from 328 balls with 18 boundaries.
The partnership was worth 167 when Leach pulled James Harris into the hands of Billy Root at deep mid wicket.
His splendid knock off 143 balls contained 16 fours.
Dillon Pennington (11) was caught behind driving at van der Gugten but last man Ben Gibbon ensured Roderick was able to achieve his new career best with four through mid wicket off the same bowler.
D’Oliveira immediately declared and Gibbon struck with in his second over with the new ball.
David Lloyd (4) nicked a delivery slanted across him and Jack Haynes at second slip held a chin high catch.
Byrom scored freely as the first 10 overs produced 61 runs but there were several breaks for rain.
Worcestershire found it hard to find the right line on a consistent basis and contain Byrom who reached 50 off 51 balls.
But the return of Gibbon late in the day brought a second breakthrough for Worcestershire.
Byrom played and missed at the first delivery of the over from the left-armer but was undone by the third delivery which he edged to Cox.
Gibbon finished with figures of 6-1-26-2, Leach 7-0-31-0, Pennington 8-1-36-0 and Barnard 5-1-18-0.
*Worcestershire Seconds were frustrated by the weather as day two of the Championship match with Lancashire at Kidderminster was washed out without a ball being bowled.
