Zen Malik led a Worcestershire Seconds fightback with the bat on day one of the Championship match with Lancashire Seconds at Northern CC in Liverpool.
The Seconds were in trouble at 140-8 after being put into bat but Malik helped the last two wickets to add a further 99 runs with support from Connor Dudley and Pat Brown.
He finished unbeaten on 63 from 74 balls as the Seconds were eventually bowled out for 239 in 53.3 overs.
Then debutant, left arm paceman Matthew Wareing, picked up two wickets as Lancashire closed on 176-4 from 48 overs – still 63 in arrears.
George Rhodes (16) and Alexei Kervezee – with 46 off 50 balls with nine fours – added 57 for the second wicket.
But, after Kervezee had been caught behind off Luke Procter, wickets started to fall at regular intervals.
It needed Malik, batting at number eight, to halt the slide and he added 68 for the ninth wicket with Dudley who made 35 off 43 balls with one six and five fours.
Malik received further good support from Brown (11) in a last wicket stand of 31.
Brown then struck an early blow with the ball when he had Calum Turner (3) caught behind by Alex Milton.
Then Wareing, 23, who has played for Unicorns, Suffolk and MCC Young Cricketers this season, picked up wickets in successive overs.
He dismissed Karl Brown (27) and Rob Jones (1) to reduce Lancashire to 49-3.
Luke Procter – 77 not out off 123 balls with seven fours – and Josh Bohannon – 63 off 105 deliveries with a six and five fours – added 125 for the fourth wicket.
But Ben Twohig dismissed the latter shortly before the close and now the Seconds will be looking for early wickets tomorrow morning.
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Worcestershire Seconds – first innings
G Rhodes c †C Turner b DJ Lamb 16
O Westbury c C Turner b S Mahmood 0
A Kervezee c †BD Guest b LA Procter 46
A Hepburn b L Hurt 12
R Whiteley lbw b L Hurt 17
J Dell c JJ Bohannon b L Hurt 0
A Milton b LA Procter 2
Z Malik not out 63
B Twohig b S Mahmood 9
C Dudley c AM Lilley b TJ Lester 35
P Brown b TJ Lester 11
Extras 28
Total (all out 239) in 53.3 overs
FOW: 1, 58, 76, 94, 94, 107, 111, 140, 208, 239
Bowling
S Mahmood 14-2-49-2
TJ Lester 8.3-2-35-2
DJ Lamb 8-1-49-1
LA Procter 11-3-52-2
L Hurt 9-3-21-3
Parkinson 3-0-27-0
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Lancashire Seconds
KR Brown c B Twohig b M Wearing 27
C Turner c †A Milton b P Brown 3
LA Procter not out 77
RP Jones lbw b M Wearing 1
JJ Bohannon c A Hepburn b B Twohig 63
BD Guest not out 0
Extras 5
Total (for 4 wickets 4) 176 in 48.0 overs
FOW: 12, 43, 49, 174
Bowling
P Brown 8-0-36-1
A Hepburn 7-0-31-0
M Wareing 8-1-26-2
G Rhodes 7-0-27-0
R Whiteley 6-0-17-0
B Twohig 7-0-19-1
Z Malik 5-0-16-0
