George Rhodes, skipper Ollie Westbury and keeper Safwaan Imtiaz all scored half-centuries before Worcestershire Seconds laid down the gauntlet by declaring 120 behind on day two of the Championship match with Durham Seconds at Kidderminster.
Westbury called a halt to the Seconds first innings on 271-5 and sacrificed a potential fourth batting point in an effort to set up a positive finish to the game on the final day.
Durham responded by making 152-3 despite another two wickets for Steve Magoffin to take their overall advantage to 272.
Openers Rhodes and Westbury had resumed on 15-0 in reply to Durham’s 391-7 declared and figured in a stand of 107 from 33 overs.
Westbury, having made 51 from 103 balls with 10 boundaries, was first to depart when caught at mid on.
Tom Fell (36) helped Rhodes add a further 53 before he was caught behind.
Rhodes went onto make 76 off 157 deliveries with 10 boundaries when he was run out by Sam Steel’s throw from point.
Imtiaz shared in useful stands of 45 with Jack Haynes (28) – caught behind – and Josh Dell (15) – taken at first slip – and was undefeated on 51 from 64 balls with eight fours when the declaration came.
Magoffin made two quickfire breakthroughs as he had Liam Trevaskis (10) caught behind and Ross Greenwell (4) pouched by Fell at second slip.
Mitchell Spencer bowled Ryan Pringle for 49 but that was Worcestershire’s last success of the day as Steel (63) and first innings century-maker Bryden Carse (19) added an unbroken 71 for the fourth wicket.
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WORCESTERSHIRE SECONDS – FIRST INNINGS CONTINUED
(overnight 15-0)
Rhodes run out (Steel) 76
Westbury c Campbell b Main 51
Fell c Read b Pringle 36
Haynes c Read b Adair 28
Imtiaz not out 51
Dell c Carse b Steel 15
Extras 14
Total (for 5 wickets declared) 271 in 79.3 overs
FOW: 107, 160, 182, 227, 271
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BOWLING
Campbell 10-2-33-0
Adair 13-4-34-1
Main 9-1-56-1
Greenwell 5-2-12-0
Harding 13-3-40-0
Whitehead 13-3-37-0
Pringle 11-3-25-1
Trevaskis 3-0-20-0
Steel 2.3-0-6-1
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DURHAM SECONDS – SECOND INNINGS
Trevaskis c Imtiaz b Magoffin 10
Greenwell c Fell b Magoffin 4
Pringle b Spencer 49
Steel not out 63
Carse not out 19
Extras 7
Total (for 3 wickets) 152 in 37 overs
FOW: 9, 14, 101
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BOWLING
Magoffin 7-0-21-2
Spencer 10-2-29-1
Twohig 11-1-56-0
Ross-Watt 6-0-30-0
Ul-Hassan 3-0-9-0
