[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

vs Sussex

County Championship, Division Two

The County Ground, Hove

Day One: Pears put Sussex in to bat, and had an entire day in which to rue the decision.  After this week's dispiriting news that Tom Kohler-Cadmore will be leaving for Yorkshire next season, I expected some of the wind to have left Worcestershire sails, but our bowlers really struggled on a pitch that offered them little to nothing.  Joe Leach managed one dismissal, Josh Tongue another and Ed Barnard a third, but taking one wicket per session isn't going to get the Pears anywhere this weekend. Sussex close on 339-3, Wells on 139 not out, and if the pitch remains the same tomorrow then the home side will be looking for a whopping total. Too early to pray for rain?

Day Two: As expected, Sussex piled on the runs and reached 579-8 before declaring.  With chances of a seventh successive Championship win more or less out of the window, the Pears proceeded to bat sensibly on a nearly-dead wicket, with Mitchell and Dolly putting together the makings of a very decent reply. Worcestershire 139-0 at close of play, and if conditions remain the same tomorrow then this one looks likely to meander to a draw.

Day Three: Astonishing. And not in a good way. Cruising along with a 200 partnership, both Mitchell and Dolly got themselves caught this afternoon and precipitated the batting collapse from hell. Fourteen Pears wickets fell in total as Sussex enforced the follow-on, and in the space of a day this has gone from a likely draw to a nailed-on innings defeat. It'll take a Biblical flood tomorrow to save the Pears, as they close on 124-4 still trailing Sussex's first innings total by 143 runs.

Day Four: After two more early wickets, everything rested on the forecast of afternoon rain for the Pears. To their credit, Ross Whiteley and Ed Barnard made a long and heroic seventh-wicket stand to shepherd the visitors safely to lunch, but the bad weather didn't arrive quickly enough to save the day as the last wickets tumbled. A weekend to forget for Worcestershire; now have to make sure we get firing on all cylinders again before the big semi-final in a fortnight.

Worcestershire LOSE by an innings and seven runs

Star Performer: Ross Whiteley and Ed Barnard did themselves proud on the last day, with a half-century for the former, but with 121 in the first innings and 54 in the second, the real danger man for Worcestershire was once again Daryl Mitchell. Sadly, we can only look back on the point when he and Dolly were 215-0 on Sunday and shake our heads at what happened next.

Next Match: Worcestershire return to New Road after a month away, and will look to bounce back against visitors Glamorgan.