Ben Allison’s career-best figures for Worcestershire wasn’t enough to keep Worcestershire on top in their Rothesay County Championship match against Surrey, after a costly last hour on Day Two saw the home side lose four wickets.
Allison led the way for the hosts, with his 5-44 helping restrict Surrey to 291 all-out, as Worcestershire left the field trailing by just 77 runs.
Another potent bowling display from the visitors, however, saw them take four wickets late on, as Worcestershire finished the day 69-4.
Adam Hose and nightwatchman Allison saw their side through to stumps without any further damage, but with a big task on their hands heading into tommorow still behind by eight runs.
Worcestershire took the field on Day Two in need of an early breakthrough, after the Pears bowlers had struggled to create chances in the face of some assertive batting from Surrey’s opening pair late on the opening day.
Ryan Patel and Dom Sibley continued about their business in composed fashion, as they added a further 40 to the overnight score.
At 87-1, shortly after Patel had brought up his half-century, Ben Allison gave his side something to cheer about, as he hurried Patel with a back of a length delivery that the batter could only chip into the safe hands of Jacob Duffy at mid-on.
Worcestershire’s bowlers battled on, as their search for a foothold in the game continued, with the unphased Sibley now accompanied by Rory Burns as the visitors passed 100 in the 35th over of the innings.
Chances were few and far between for the home side, with their opponents knuckling down and offering very little as scoring plateaued in the second hour of the morning.
Sibley batted effectively without inspiring, as he reached a 132-ball-fifty on the stroke of lunch, as the interval was taken with the visitors 147-1.
Only 13 runs were added after the break, before Jacob Duffy provided the home side with a much-needed spark, when he removed Burns, for 34, after the Surrey skipper feathered behind to Gareth Roderick.
Three overs later and it was the stand-out figure from the opening day, Matthew Waite, who produced a gem of a delivery to beat the defences of Sam Curran, clean bowling the number four after mustering just eight.
As the Kia-Oval based side continued to reduce the deficit in their pursuit of Worcestershire’s 209, as Jake Libby rotated his bowling in the search for Sibley’s prize wicket.
It was the impressive Allison, who came up trumps for his Captain, in some style, ending Sibley’s 184 ball repost of 73, when he trapped the opener LBW.
He continued his eye-catching spell, claiming the wickets of Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner in successive overs, as the home side reduce their opponents to 197-6.
Allison first had Jacks (0) bowled second ball with one that shot through the England man’s defences, before removing Santner (0) LBW in his next over.
As a result of Santner’s frustration at his dismissal, Worcestershire were awarded five penalty runs and saw their total rise to 214, with confirmation the New Zealand international had been charged with two separate Level One offences.
Dan Lawrence came together with Jordan Clark, as Surrey raced into a first innings lead with a dangerous counterattack in full flight, batting through until tea was taken with their side 52 runs ahead.
Lawrence continued and passed fifty early in the evening session, but failed to capitalise on his foundations as he edged a rising Tom Taylor delivery shortly after the new ball was taken, departing for a 52 as the Pears battled back.
Taylor (3-37) bowled with excellent accuracy throughout and was rewarded late on in the day claiming two more wickets, snagging both Jordan Clark (34) and Nathan Smith (6).
Ben Allison returned from the Diglis End to finish off the opposition innings for 291, removing Fisher without scoring and achieving outstanding figures of 5-44 in the process.
Heading off the field to rapturous applause from the supporting faithful, Allison led the hosts off the field as their seam bowling attack had restricted the visitors to a lead of 77.
With 17 overs left in the day to bat, Roderick fell in the first over of the reply, nicking off to former Pear, Nathan Smith, for four.
The far from ideal start went on, as Henry Nicholls departed in Smith’s next over, without scoring, leaving the hosts reeling at 8-2.
Kashif Ali’s promising start was quickly ended by the relentless Matt Fisher, as things looked ominous for the hosts, before Fisher struck again by trapping Libby LBW for 20, as the hosts were staring down the barrel at 46-4.
Adam Hose and Ben Allison saw their side through to stumps without any further casualties, closing on 69-4, behind by eight runs heading into the third morning’s play.
