Having experienced all four-seasons across the duration of this match, Worcestershire entered a blustery Visit Worcestershire New Road intent on taking some more early wickets, hoping to drag themselves back into the ascendency on another vital day in their Rothesay County Championship season.
Tom Taylor, impressing so far this campaign with a bowling average of 24.23, entered his opening spell of the third day with 25 wickets to his name, the same figure as he achieved in the entirety of last season’s County Championship campaign.
He soon equalled that total, when a full, away swinging delivery drew New Zealander, Tom Latham into an uncharacteristic and wayward drive, which saw the end of his resistance for 20.
Sam Hain, made his way to the middle, with all those in Worcestershire colours more than aware of his capabilities, after a stand-out first innings knock of 86. He survived an early scare however, when the home side were convinced they had seen the back of him, but their animated appeals for caught behind were refuted by Umpire, Jack Shantry.
Ben Allison, bowling spritely at the Diglis End, produced the next big moment of the match when he ended Rob Yates’ stubborn 112-ball stay at the crease, trapping the opener LBW in front for 29.
At 79-3, there was a renewed sense of optimism inside the ground, as the sun appeared from behind the clouds and the Pears continued their search for more Warwickshire wickets.
With tails up, Jacob Duffy was next to join the action, when he produced a fast, straight delivery that stayed low on Beau Webster, shooting through his defences and dismantling leg stump in the process, forcing his departure for five.
Warwickshire then stabilised, when Ed Barnard, joined Hain as the pair set about re-establishing the away side’s lead.
Barnard, brushed off his first innings failure, as he made a 28-ball-30, including six-boundaries, giving the home fans a stark reminder of his capabilities with the bat.
As Hain continued, rather effortlessly it must be added, Barnard looked to set to cash in on a bright start, before the re-introduction of Matthew Waite to the Pears bowling attack quickly ended any speculation of a headline grabbing return.
The Yorkshire bowler extended his impressive run of form with the ball as he removed the dangerous Barnard, courtesy of a safe Jake Libby catch as the batter miscued a leg glance that steepled skyward.
After adding 65 for the fifth wicket, the pair had reasserted their side’s dominant position in the match, and the concern for the hosts lay in Sam Hain’s extended occupation of the crease.
Zen Malik then entered the fray, with the swashbuckling middle-order batter looking to strengthen the visitors grip on the game.
Jacob Duffy soon nipped his threat in the bud when he collected his third wicket of the innings, as Ethan Brookes took a smart catch from a ball that had flown off an edge, to see the Warwickshire number seven depart for 15.
With Worcestershire in control of the passage, but Warwickshire establishing control of the match – and with a deep batting line-up facing them, wickets were the hosts only way back.
With the score reading 181-6, Kai Smith joined the not-out Hain in the middle, and he looked to bat with positive intent from the outset. The seventh wicket partnership could only accumulate 17, before Smith (8) was caught out, hooking a Ben Allison short ball straight down the throat of the obliging Duffy, at deep backward-square leg.
It was, from then on however, a textbook batting display from the away side as Hain continued about his business, joined by Chris Woakes, who showed all of his batting prowess during his stay at the crease, as the Warwickshire lead reached 288 by tea.
Upon resumption, the pair continued to make batting look comfortable, as they added a total of 67 for the eighth-wicket, before Woakes, was eventually drawn into a false shot, edging to Henry Nicholls at first slip off the bowling of Tom Taylor, for a classy 42.
Ethan Bamber (9) was next out hit wicket off the bowling of Duffy, meaning Chris Rushworth was the last man into the middle, with Sam Hain still hunting a century.
Duffy however, had other ideas, as he completed a well-earned five wicket haul, when he had Rushworth caught at slip by Rob Jones on his first delivery faced, leaving Hain stranded at the other end, not out on 87.
After a quick turnaround, Worcestershire’s opening pair of Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby headed out to bat in pursuit of the 327-run target needed to secure an unlikely second successive County Championship win.
Things got off to a far from ideal start for the hosts, as they found themselves 20-1, when Jake Libby was beaten by a Rushworth delivery that rocketed into his off-stump, as he made the long walk off having made five.
20-1 soon became 25-2, as Henry Nicholls tough run continued, when Chris Woakes trapped him on the crease with an angled back delivery from around the wicket to see the left-hander on his way for just two.
With 26 overs still scheduled in the day, the faint hopes of a Worcestershire result in this game were hanging by a thread.
Roderick was then partnered by Kashif Ali, and the pair guided their side through to 6:30pm, with the score at 54-2, when with 15 overs remaining in the day, the weather came in and the players were pulled off for bad light, seemingly bringing an end to another challenging day for the home side.
In simply astounding scenes however, the players were brought back onto the field at 7:10pm, with five overs to complete.
A tricky 20-minute spell was securely navigated by Roderick and Ali, who added three to the total.
With eight wickets in hand and 270 more runs required, the task in front of the Pears heading into the final day is a steep one, as their quest to stay in touch with the pack at the wrong end of Division One continues.
