[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Four

Morning: No play possible due to poor ground conditions.

Afternoon: After an early lunch, play got underway around half past one, but in contrast to last season's declaration derring-do, it was quickly evident that Worcestershire had no intention of forcing the issue in the match. There was time for Rob Jones to depart for 18 to a return catch from Oliver Hannon-Dalby, and for Jake Libby to complete his seventeenth first-class century, and twelfth in Pear green, at a leisurely pace (though reached with a lofty six), but there was never any pretence of its being in a greater cause. It was all a moot point as the rain set in to curtail both session and match with Worcestershire 295-3, leading by 322.

Evening: No play possible due to rain.

Match DRAWN

The Verdict: We'd all have settled for 14 points in the bank before a ball was bowled, and as frustrating as it is to see an advantageous position against the old enemy go to waste, a combination of weather and Kookaburra made it unavoidable. If the Aussie balls are to be used in the County Championship at all then I can see the argument for it being in spring in autumn, as they do tilt the balance a little back towards the batsmen; however, we saw the flip side this weekend in the inability to force a result in a weather-affected match. Still, with Worcestershire Rejects getting hammered by Essex today, there's plenty to smile about, and a chance that if Kashif Ali can keep up his current spell of form we might just be smiling even more at Trent Bridge next weekend.