Dillon Pennington reached 100 first class wickets as Worcestershire’s four-pronged pace attack put their side in the ascendancy on a rain-shortened third day in the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.
Pennington set the tone with a superb morning spell in which he picked up two wickets and was a constant threat to all the batters.
The wicket of Kiran Carlson enabled Pennington to reach the century mark in his 34th appearance since making his debut in 2018, and earning praise that summer from Kane Williamson and Morne Morkel.
The 23-year-old also became the first Worcestershire bowler to reach 30 first class wickets this summer and bowled with pace and hostility and in a good rhythm.
But Ben Gibbon, with his third scalp of the innings, Joe Leach and Ed Barnard also played a full part in reducing Glamorgan 241-8, still 213 runs in arrears.
After finding it a challenge to maintain a consistent line and length yesterday, the quartet bowled with discipline and accuracy and asked plenty of questions in between the showers.
They picked up six wickets for 130 runs in the 49.2 overs out of 104 that were possible today.
Glamorgan still require a further 64 runs to avoid the possibility of being asked to follow on.
Worcestershire will be hoping for a full final day’s play to try and press home their advantage after dominating the bulk of the play so far.
Glamorgan resumed on 111-2 from 26 overs.
Shubman Gill and nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten advanced the total to 132 against the opening attack of Leach and Gibbon who had made the two breakthroughs yesterday.
Leach claimed his 396th first class victim when van der Gugten (18) pushed forward and edged through to keeper Ben Cox.
Pennington came into the attack for Leach and made an immediate impact with two wickets in two balls in his first over of the day.
Sam Northeast (10) was undone by a quick delivery which nipped back and bowled him through the gate as it knocked back the middle stump.
New batter Kiran Carlson (0) was immediately dismissed as he pushed forward and nicked to Ed Pollock who held onto a sharp chance away to his left at second slip.
Pennington also constantly troubled Gill during a superb spell but Glamorgan’s new signing also played some good shots and completed an 87 ball fifty.
Billy Root was fortunate on three to inside a delivery from Gibbon just past his off stump for four.
Pennington’s morning spell produced figures of 6-1-11-2before rain arrived at 12.15 and brought about a three and a quarter hour delay.
Play eventually resumed at 4pm in bright sunshine with a possible 36 overs left in the day and Gibbon claimed his third wicket in the fifth over of the session.
Root (15) was on the walk when he tried to flick the left armer through mid-wicket and was leg before at 189-6.
Gibbon and Pennington bowled a tight line to the Glamorgan batters and Leach and Barnard continued in the same vein when they entered the attack.
Glamorgan keeper, Chris Cooke, left a delivery from Leach which came back in and was so close to trimming the off bail.
But Barnard picked up the prized wicket of Gill just two deliveries before the players left the field for bad light.
Gill was within eight runs of a century on his debut when he attempted to whip the ball towards mid wicket and was leg before.
After another delay, Pennington struck again in the final over when he bowled James Harris (5).
He finished with figures of 19.2-3-62-3, Gibbon 19-3-65-3, Leach 19-2-63-1, Barnard 16-3-45-1 and Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira 2-1-3-0.
*Worcestershire Seconds had a second successive blank day in their Championship match with Lancashire at Kidderminster.
A wet outfield and muddy bowlers run-ups prevented play starting on time and a further downpour in mid afternoon led to play being called off for the day.
