[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: A delayed resumption at noon didn't faze either of the Pears openers as they racked up a 150 partnership, with Gareth Roderick making his fifty through some excellent strokeplay with minimal scares, and Jake Libby forging ahead during a wicketless session that reached lunch on 185-1.

Afternoon: It wasn't to be for Libby, who made 97 before being bowled through the gate by a Shoaib Bashir off-break, but Rodders anchored the innings superbly as the rest of the Pears top order came and went in aggressive cameos, completing his first century of the season - the ninth first-class ton of his career - in time for tea on 312-5, now leading by 3.

Evening: The sun showed its face for the first time all match on a lovely Sunday evening which Worcestershire were free to spend playing shots for fun. Rodders finally departed for 122 after hitting Bashir for a glorious straight six, trying to wallop Jake Ball down the ground only to pick out mid-off, but Jason Holder was able to smash the ball clean out of the ground onto the railway line during his cameo for 12, and even after Matthew Waite went for 5 the tail continued to wag. Brett D'Oliveira and Joe Leach brought up a fourth batting point while denying Somerset their full bowling bonus during a highly enjoyable ninth-wicket partnership, and the skipper completed his fifty before being caught behind at half past six. Declaring then on 451-9 with a first-innings lead of 142, the slight air of melancholy underpinning proceedings - a sense that once again, a strong Worcestershire showing is going to go unrewarded thanks to the final-day weather - was lifted a little when Holder had Sean Dickson caught behind for a duck in the penultimate over of the day. 5-1 at close, trailing by 137, it would take something astonishing on Monday morning to turn this impending draw into a win, but the momentum is all with the Pears.