Worcestershire Seconds have five wickets remaining heading into the final day of the four-day clash with Hampshire Seconds at the Ageas Bowl nursery ground after being set a massive 503 victory target.
The County will resume tomorrow on 121-5 and looking to defy the home attack for as long as possible.
Hampshire resumed on 104-3 – 257 runs ahead – with Tom Scriven and Ian Holland at the crease – and reached 349-6 before declaring in their second innings.
It took 21 overs of the morning before a breakthrough was made when Zain Ul-Hassan trapped Holland lbw for 95 – just five runs short of his second century of the game.
He faced 137 balls and struck 14 fours and added 88 for the fourth wicket with Scriven.
New batsman Asher Hart departed three overs later, lbw to Ben Twohig, but by lunch Hampshire had moved onto 237-5 having added 133 in the 32 over morning session.
Twohig took a stunning diving catch at square leg to get rid of Chris Wood for 14 in the first over after lunch.
Scriven and FS Hay batted without trouble in adding an unbroken 111 until Hants declared on 349-6 – 502 runs ahead.
The former finished undefeated on 124 from 147 balls with one six and 14 fours and Hay ended 64 not out from 53 deliveries with four sixes and six fours – a total of 48 in boundaries.
Worcestershire were left with 44 overs batting on day three when they began their second innings.
Ollie Westbury (3) was trapped lbw in the sixtth over and Worcs went to tea at 36-1.
Wickets tumbled at regular intervals in the final session.
Tom Fell was bowled by the spin of Weatherley for 44 off 102 balls with six fours and nightwatchman Jack Shantry fell two balls later in the same over.
Keeper Alex Milton, who hit a first innings half century, was unbeaten on 21 at the close of play.
—–
Hampshire Seconds – second innings continued
(overnight 104-3)
IG Holland lbw b Z Ul-Hassan 95
TAR Scriven not out 124
AHJA Hart lbw b BJ Twohig 4
CP Wood* c BJ Twohig b GH Rhodes 14
Extras 4
Total (for 6 wickets declared) 349
FOW continued: 186, 197, 238
Bowling
JD Shantry 11-1-45-0
CAJ Morris 12-2-43-0
Z Ul-Hassan 17-1-78-3
GH Rhodes 11-0-51-1
MC Davis 10-0-42-1
BJ Twohig 8-0-52-1
ZUA Malik 6-0-34-0
—–
Worcestershire Seconds – second innings
GH Rhodes b AHJA Hart 28
OE Westbury lbw b BTJ Wheal 3
TC Fell b Weatherley 44
JJ Dell lbw b JB Lintott 9
AG Milton+ not out 21
ZUA Malik not out 6
Extras 10
Total (for 5 wickets) 121
FOW: 18, 62, 82, 111, 111
Bowling
ME Salisbury 9-2-30-0
BTJ Wheal 6-2-8-1
JJ Weatherley 5-2-5-2
AHJA Hart 7-4-16-1
IG Holland 4-0-15-0
JB Lintott 8-1-30-1
TAR Scriven 6-2-11-0
