[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: A brighter Thursday than I'd dared hope for, and the dream eighth-wicket stand continued for longer than I'd dared hope for; a 108-ball half-century for Josh Baker was the session's first landmark, followed by his new highest first-class score as he motored past the unbeaten 61 notched against Middlesex in September 2021, and a new record partnership for wicket number eight against Gloucestershire, effortlessly surpassing the 124 of Steve Rhodes and Stuart Lampitt at Nevil Road in June 1997. It had reached 141, and showcased an emphatic square-cut six over point from Baker, before the spinner finally mistimed a hook to Van Meekeren and top-edged to the keeper for 75; a similar dismissal from the same bowler did for Brett D'Oliveira on 90, but a brisk run of boundaries - including another couple of big sixes - from Dillon Pennington and Adam Finch lifted the Pears up to 406 and a fourth batting point before the former was caught at mid-on for 26, leaving the latter 33 not out, equalling his own first-class best from Trent Bridge in 2022.

Afternoon: The reply began with an early wicket for Pennington, Chris Dent feathering behind for 8, and it should have been two when Finchy bowled 19-year-old Cornish opener Joe Phillips on 24, only to find he'd overstepped. Phillips duly punished the error with a half-century, but Worcestershire made amends in the final over of the session as Joe Leach followed up a boundary ball with a fullish delivery of extra bounce outside off, drawing the youngster into an uncertain prod with stuttering feet that sent an edge looping straight to first slip for 80. The afternoon thus closed with Gloucs 118-2, still undoubtedly the victors of the session.

Evening: On one of his patented rolls, Leach required only a couple of balls after the resumption to have the leaning Miles Hammond caught at second slip for a duck, then new man James Bracey caught behind on the drive for 1. 120-4 offered a little hope that Worcestershire's miraculous tail-wag may not have been down to a flattening pitch, but the warm evening sunshine and the Price brothers were determined to thwart the bowlers at all costs; no further wickets fell as the Pears toiled away, Gloucestershire closing on 212-4 and 194 in arrears. The second new ball is, thankfully, due early on the morrow, and will be the key to a positive result in this match for Worcs; we have runs on the board, but now need wickets in the bag.