Worcestershire Seconds will head into the final day of the Second Eleven Championship match with Derbyshire Seconds at Flagge Meadow holding a 177 run lead with eight second innings wickets in hand.
Both sides made declarations on the second day with Worcestershire pulling out at 311-4 and Derbyshire replying with 250-5.
The home side then made 116-2 in their second innings to set up the possibility of an interesting finish.
Worcestershire resumed on 218-3 in their first innings and skipper Alexei Kervezee and Alex Hepburn both completed half centuries before the declaration.
Kervezee was the only wicket to fall and he made 69 from 80 balls with 12 fours.
Hepburn remained unbeaten on 55 from 70 deliveries with six boundaries and Ed Barnard was 17 not out.
Barnard then chipped in with two wickets to help reduce Derbyshire to 78-4 before Ben Slater (118) and Tom Knight (75 not out) added 160 for the fifth wicket in 36 overs.
Slater struck one six and 18 fours in his 161 ball innings – before he holed out to Ben Twohig at long off – and Knight 11 fours off 123 deliveries.
Worcestershire went for quick runs in their second innings after Derbyshire declared 61 behind despite the loss of Tom Kohler-Cadmore and George Rhodes.
Alex Gidman followed up his first innings half century with 43 not out off 56 balls with six fours and Kervezee was heading towards another sizeable contribution with an unbeaten 32.
Worcs 2nds – first innings continued
Kervezee c Poynton b Cork 69
Hepburn not out 55
Barnard not out 17
Extras 27
Total (for 4 wickets) 311
FOW continued: 265
Bowling: White 1-57, Cork 1-41, Critchley 2-70.
Derbyshire 2nds – first innings
Slater c Twohig b Choudhry 118
Clare b Russell 12
Elstone c Gidman b Barnard 17
Brown lbw Barnard 0
Poynton c Kohler-Cadmore b Tongue 9
Knight not out 75
Cork not out 6
Extras 13
Total (for 5 wickets) 250
FOW: 17, 59, 67, 78, 238
Bowling
Russell 9-0-44-1
Barnard 14-2-65-2
Choudhry 15-1-56-1
Tongue 7-3-17-1
Hepburn 4-1-22-0
Twohig 7-0-31-0
Kervezee 3-0-11-0
Worcestershire Seconds – second innings
Kohler-Cadmore b W.A. White 13
Rhodes c Poynton b H.J. White 12
Gidman not out 43
Kervezee not out 32
Extras 16
Total (for 2 wickets) 116
FOW: 25, 63
Bowling: WA White 1-24, HJ White 1-28
