Worcestershire’s fine start to the Rothesay County Championship match against Hampshire continued as three late wickets saw Hampshire reduced to 68-3, in response to the away side’s mammoth 679-7.
Jake Libby carried his bat in a First-Class best score of 228 not-out, batting through all five sessions of the match.
Gareth Roderick chipped in with a well-constructed 80, before Libby declared at Tea, with his side in well ahead.
A burst of three wickets in the final session, shared between Tom Taylor and Adam Finch, saw Hampshire close 611 runs in arrears.
Worcestershire began Day Two looking to kick-on from yesterday’s seismic day, as Jake Libby and Adam Finch took to the middle resuming on 456-3.
Finch added a couple of quick boundaries early in the day, but was caught behind shortly after, departing for 12.
Ethan Brookes was unlucky to in his dismissal for seven as he shouldered arms to a ball that stayed low and castled his off-stump, as Worcestershire made their way to 477-5.
Libby, continued his unwavering repost from the top of the order, bringing up his 150 off 298 balls, showing no signs of letting up.
Gareth Roderick joined his not-out skipper, as the visitors passed the 500-mark in the 113th over, as both batters settled into another perfect day for batting against a weary bowing attack.
Having spent the day previous watching on as Libby grafted his way to a resolute ton, Roderick looked intent on following his lead, as the pair maximised their time in the middle, shaking hands after reaching their fifty partnership off 109 deliveries.
With Hampshire forced to rotate their now eight-strong bowling unit, struggling in the heat and on a flat wicket offering little in the way of support, Worcestershire’s in and set pair took their side to 546-5 at Lunch.
Upon resumption, the visitors continued their batting marathon, with Roderick reaching his second Rothesay County Championship fifty of the campaign, validating his move to the middle-order.
Shortly after, yet another milestone was met as Worcestershire reached 600-5, as the visitors eyed-up their highest-ever Division One score, recorded back in June 2007 when the Pears racked up 701-6 against Surrey.
The imperious knock from stand-in Captain Libby, looked as though it may well last the duration of the innings, as he reached 200 in appropriately calm and composed fashion midway through the afternoon session.
Roderick, after a challenging start to the campaign at the top of the order, made his way to a fluent 137-ball 80, before he was caught off the bowling of Liam Dawson.
Matthew Waite came and went without scoring, as he was run-out in unfortunate circumstances.
Shortly before tea, Skipper Libby chalked up his career best First Class score when he ticked past 216, with Tom Taylor now his partner.
Between the pair, they added a further 51 for the ninth-wicket, before Tea arrived with the visitors 679-7, recording the second highest total ever at the Utilita Bowl in the process.
With Libby still not-out on 228, when the sides re-emerged from the dressing rooms it became apparent that the Captain had opted to declare, after notching the fourth highest total in Worcestershire’s history.
Having been the one’s offering out 160 overs of relentless run-scoring, the visiting bowling attack were aware of how vital the early spell with the new ball would be when the time arose for Tom Taylor and Ben Allison.
It was Taylor who produced the vital opening breakthrough, when he trapped Fletcha Middleton in front for just one, as the Pears started in style.
Despite a dropped catch from the double-centurion at slip, the visiting side kept pressing and made run-scoring hard for the hosts.
With tails up and energy high, the returning Adam Finch joined in on proceedings, after a stroke of genius in the field saw Libby place Henry Nicholls at leg-slip, only for Ali Orr to turn one straight off his mid-drift and into the obliging hands of Nicholls, giving the visitors their second breakthrough of the evening.
Barely believing what he had just done, Orr trudged off for 32, as Worcestershire’s dream start to the match looked set to continue.
The Pears were not done however, as Taylor continued his superb start with the ball, this time trapping Nick Gubbins LBW with a straightening delivery from over the wicket, wrapping the front pad of the left-hander, as Worcestershire reduced their opponents to 54-3 as the game entered the closing stages of the day.
The final six overs were navigated by the home side without anymore casualties, while Callum Parkinson bowled his first spell for the Pears, bringing an end to another memorable day at the Utilita Bowl, with Worcestershire in the driving seat heading into the third morning.
