[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: The new ball did indeed make all the difference on a cloudy Friday morn; handed straight to Dillon Pennington, the new cherry ricocheted off the inside edge onto Tom Price's stumps for 46 as the young man attempted a wild, flashing drive, and then cannoned into the front pad of Jack Taylor next ball to send him packing LBW for a duck. Ollie Price completed his century - a fine knock in the circumstances - but fell rather limply when Matthew Waite had him caught driving straight into an obvious trap set at silly mid-on, departing for 116. The eighth-wicket partnership held things up a while, though not to the extent that Worcestershire's pair did in the first innings; just as it looked like the stand might cause problems, Adam Finch had Zafar Gohar caught for 20 at short extra cover, then beat Paul van Meekeren for pace to uproot the off stump for a duck two deliveries later. Matt Taylor soon went down swinging, top-edging to third man to gift Finchy his third in eight balls, and Gloucestershire were 301 all out, conceding a first innings lead of 105 to the Pears.

Afternoon: With the pitch still offering something, there was always a possibility of the new ball claiming casualties, and sure enough, the recent form of Gareth Roderick wasn't enough to keep him from edging Tom Price to second slip for 10. The next wicket was considerably more careless, as Azhar Ali attempted an uncharacteristically cavalier uppercut over the slip cordon that fell comfortably into the hands of third man for 14, and Kashif Ali - on a pair in only his second first-class match - got himself off the mark but then offered up a simple return catch off a leading edge to Van Meekeren for 4. On the brink of that particular precipice, 55-3 and leading by just 160, it required yet another measured but resoundingly positive knock from Jake Libby to hoist Worcestershire out of their funk, the Cornishman scoring with typically consummate ease square of the wicket as he made his fifty, and the Pears made lunch 109-3 with the lead now 214.

Evening: It was ultimately a supporting role for Adam Hose that came to an end when he chopped on for 21 after the break, but Brett D'Oliveira was a more-than-capable replacement at the crease, tucking into the wide and short-pitched bowling with confident back-foot shots on the off-side while Libby completed his third century of the season and the fifteenth of his career. The skipper was caught at backward point for 46 trying to bring up his half-century with a boundary, while the opener was pouched at square leg for 117 as the declaration race began in earnest under greying teatime skies, but there was still time for Matthew Waite to tear Gloucestershire to shreds with a series of thumping leg-side sixes, notching his half-century in just 22 balls and carrying the Pears lead over 400 until he was caught behind off the first ball of the day's final over for a 32-ball 62, bringing proceedings to a close with Worcs 316-8, leading by 421. An overnight declaration is now a must; indeed, many would argue that a couple of overs at the hosts tonight would have been a better strategy, but the Pears now have the cushion of knowing that runs won't be an issue tomorrow in aggressively pursuing what would be a crucial victory if we can mange it.