Jake Libby, Adam Hose and Worcestershire Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira all hit crucial half-centuries to help lift the total past the 300 mark on day three of the Vitality County Championship encounter with Essex at Chelmsford.
There were contributions all down the order as Worcestershire were rewarded for their positive approach on a turning pitch in reaching 303-8 before bad light halted play just before five o’clock.
It means they have a lead of 165 with two wickets remaining heading into the final day.
The Worcestershire batters were not afraid to play the sweep shot and continually kept the score ticking along at just under four an over for long periods of the day.
Libby laid the foundations during the first half of the day with a fine of 65 and shared in half-century stands with Kashif Ali and Rob Jones.
D’Oliveira then scored his third successive fifty since returning to the side following rehab on his shoulder injury, and he was typically proactive in his approach.
He received excellent support in another significant stand, this time with Adam Hose, who went on to make a sizeable contribution of his own.
Worcestershire resumed on 2-0 and nightwatchman Joe Leach (0) was dismissed in the opening over of the day, edging Sam Cook through to keeper Michael Pepper with one run added.
Libby collected his first boundary when he steered Jamie Porter to third man and then cut Cook to the ropes.
Gareth Roderick (6) departed after pushing forward to Porter and being snapped up at second slip by Simon Harmer at 24-2.
Kashif Ali, who had moved past 700 Championship runs for the season during the first innings, quickly got into his stride.
He despatched Porter off the back foot through the covers for four and then turned the next delivery off his legs through mid-wicket for another boundary.
Shane Snater came into the attack, and in his first over, Libby cashed in on two deliveries short of a length with back foot cover drives for four.
Kashif had an escape on 25 when he tried to ramp Harmer but keeper Pepper, who had moved to his left in anticipation of the shot, failed to hold onto the chance.
Libby was looking to score whenever an opportunity presented itself and he cut Harmer through backward point for another boundary.
The 50 partnership came up in 15 overs, but the introduction of left-armer Paul Walter into the attack led to Kashif’s departure for 27.
He pushed hard at a delivery angled across him and was pouched at slip by Harmer.
Libby completed a 90 ball half century when he went to pull Walter and the ball flew over the head of Pepper to the boundary.
New batter Rob Jones showed positive intent from the start and swept Harmer for three successive boundaries.
A paddle sweep also went for four off the spinner via a bottom edge as he raced onto 25 from 18 balls with Worcestershire 125-3 at lunch.
Libby got the afternoon session of to a positive start as he chopped the first ball from Porter backward of square for four.
But in the second over, after making 65, he drove at Cook and found the hands of backward point.
Jones had profited during his innings from the sweep until on 31 he attempted another similar shot to against Harmer and skied a catch to mid wicket.
But Worcestershire were determined to play aggressively against one of Essex’s main threats and D’Oliveira also swept Harmer for two boundaries.
Hose provided solid support to D’Oliveira but showed his aggressive side with a pull to the boundary at Matt Critchley’s expense.
The 200 came up in the 58th over and D’Oliveira then completed his second half century of the game and third in a row since returning to the side.
But on 51 he pushed forward to Critchley and was taken at second slip after adding 80 with Hose.
Brookes produced one of his trademark sweep shots against Critchley to collect his first four.
Hose then picked up two boundaries in the space of three deliveries at Walter’s expense as the Worcestershire lead moved past the 100 mark.
He completed an excellent half century – the third so far in the innings – off 71 balls – as Worcestershire reached 254-6 by tea..
Hose added five more runs at the start of the final session but on 64 he was bowled by a delivery from Harmer which turned sharply.
Brookes (19) then tried to reverse sweep Harmer but the ball ballooned into the hands of short leg.
But further resistance came from Logan van Beek and Tom Taylor who added a further unbroken 25 for the ninth wicket before the players left the field shortly before 5pm.
Worcestershire’s Adam Hose hit 64 and spoke about the extraordinary ball from Simon Harmer that bowled him: “I couldn’t believe it when it bowled me, I didn’t really hear much and I watched it back on the replay and it just flicks the top of middle stump on the way through to Michael Pepper. I was in a bit of disbelief how it bowled me considering where it pitched.
“It did turn a long way. I look back and maybe if I’m really critical I didn’t smother it. I defended it a bit squarer than maybe I did in the session before, but these are fine margins and I think it’s pitching on ninth or tenth stump and swung back and hit middle. You can’t do much about those, but I was happy to contribute today.
“At the end of the day it’s not one I’ll look too much into. He’s bowled plenty of those throughout his career. But it was pretty solid delivery to be fair.
“All the conversation [between me and Brett] was about being positive. We knew that time wasn’t necessarily a big thing in the game, but runs were. We were looking to score, being really positive in everything we did: working on our defence and looking to score when the time arose. That was the really important thing. We just switched that momentum. We felt Essex fielders were getting quite frustrated and from put point of view that was a good sign.
“The biggest facet for us as a group of players is how much character and fight we show. We know we’re behind in the game but that will never put us off those challenges. If we can keep creeping that total up towards 200 there are still balls out there with your name on it and we feel we’d be in with a good chance of winning the game.”
