[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Four

Morning: For once the weather played ball, even if the winds were as arctic as they'd been all weekend; but the pitch had no intention of offering enough to secure a positive result in this encounter. It could have been different had fortune not favoured the batsmen on early half-chances that went begging; as it was, Adam Finch made the belated breakthrough by bowling Jake Ball for 29, and shortly before lunch Brett D'Oliveira accounted for Matt Renshaw with his third delivery, the batsman spooning one to short leg on the sweep for a dogged 12. 68-3 at the interval, Somerset still trailing by 74, hope was just about alive.

Afternoon: But in the long wicketless session that followed, the Pears were too often guilty of not making the batsmen play, and by the time tea was taken on 141-3 with the visitors trailing by just 1, it was all largely academic.

Evening: Even the deadest of rubbers can conjure up majestic moments, and the match's final wicket was one of them, as Ben Gibbon stuck out a single insouciant paw with minimal fuss or effort to pluck a return catch out of the air at arm's length and see off Andy Umeed for 60; a bit of box-office athletic magic to brighten up the greyest of days. A few more instances of its kind might have changed the script, but at five o'clock on the dot, with the score at 190-4 and the Somerset lead at 48, handshakes were in order.

Match DRAWN

The Verdict: Fifteen welcome points certainly help to banish last week's chastening defeat from the mind, and it goes without saying that in comparison to the same point in the 2018 campaign, the Pears are doing very nicely indeed. In a ten-team division with eight points for a draw, others have demonstrated in recent years that staying hard to beat and pinching a couple of big wins equals survival; however, with the likes of Surrey and Essex still to come, the journey down to Kent in a fortnight's time will be a huge encounter, because that first victory can't come soon enough.

[themaclad]

Had it on yesterday was a tad dull

[themaclad]

Josh Baker 20 has died played last season

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

He didn't just play last season, he's been in and around the first team for two or three years and was tipped as having a very bright future in the game; he was even bowling for the Second XI only yesterday. Genuinely astonishing and gut-wrenching news, can't even imagine what happened. RIP Josh.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division One

vs Kent

St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

Day One

Morning: The Pears won the toss and elected to bat on what could justifiably be called the first Friday morning of summer. First-class encounters with Kent are somewhat rare for Worcestershire these days - Bob Willis Trophy aside, this is the first true Championship meeting since 2017, and the first in Division One since 2007 - but naturally, the occasion was overshadowed by the tragic and untimely death last week of 20-year-old Josh Baker, whose loss was appropriately mourned before the match. The county wisely and considerately selected their matchday squad on a purely opt-in basis, assuring any player who needed more time before returning to the field that they were welcome to take it, but to a man, every single Pear stepped forward to make themselves available and honour young Josh's memory, so we were treated to a typically bright first half-hour from Gareth Roderick, and Jake Libby until the latter departed LBW to Wes Agar for 19. That was, however, the only wicket to fall in the session as Worcestershire reached lunch on an excellent 94-1.

Afternoon: A 136-run partnership in splendid May sunshine saw Rodders and Kashif Ali complete fifties before the latter went for 72 to the spin of Matt Parkinson, who then had Brett D'Oliveira caught for 18. Nevertheless, it was again Worcestershire's session as tea was taken on 210-3.

Evening: A second consecutive century was the deserved reward for Rodders as he deftly swept the Kent spinners on both sides of the wicket to complement his typically elegant straight drives; eventually bowled for 117, and succeeded by a brief cameo from Joe Leach who went LBW for 1 to Joey Evison, it fell to Adam Hose to shore things up for the Pears, and the ex-Bear completed his first half-century of the campaign in time for close on 308-5. Entirely Worcestershire's day, and we now need the patience and staying power to bat on well into Saturday, lest we squander a highly promising position on a good pitch trying to score quick runs.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: Another scorcher down in the Garden of England, and a solid partnership from Rob Jones and Adam Hose ensured three batting bonus points before the latter was dismissed LBW for 90 and the former followed him for 37. With the looming threat of subsidence to a lower total than anticipated overnight, it took an excellent stand between Matthew Waite and Jason Holder - playing his last scheduled game for the county - to carry the Pears to lunch on 424-7, claiming their fourth session in a row.

Afternoon: It was time for some fireworks, and the Worcestershire tail didn't disappoint. Reaching 500 at Canterbury for the first time in the county's history, Holder and Waite peppered the boundary in the sunshine and chalked up a century apiece en route to 618-7 declared, the club's biggest score since 2008 and the fifth-largest first-class total ever seen at the St Lawrence Ground (two runs more, indeed, than the hosts have ever managed there). Their 225 runs in 226 balls demolished the previous record eighth-wicket partnership for the Pears by Steve Rhodes and Stuart Lampitt against Derbyshire at Kidderminster in 1991, the first all-time partnership record to fall since our last Division One outing in 2018. All in all, an innings that honoured Josh Baker in the best possible way.

Evening: The apparent placidity of the pitch was the chief obstacle to optimism about the team's formidable position, though Worcestershire nevertheless raised hopes of something special when Joe Leach had Ben Compton caught at third slip for a duck with the fifth ball of the innings, before strangling Zak Crawley down the leg-side for 6. But Kent were able to steady the ship and reach stumps on 111-2, signalling a probable stalemate for the remainder of the weekend.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: The sun continued to shine on Canterbury, and inspired a quick double from Matthew Waite, who got a wobbling delivery to beat the edge of Daniel Bell-Drummond and kiss his off-stump for 67, then removed Joe Denly for a fifth-ball duck with a somewhat generous LBW decision. Those two wickets were, however, the only breakthroughs of the session as Kent reached lunch on 179-4, trailing by 439.

Afternoon: This venerable venue continued to offer Worcestershire nothing but blood, toil, tears and sweat, but the Pears chipped away regardless, and once more it was Waite to reap the session's sole reward - Harry Finch caught at slip for 26 - as Jack Leaning dug in to shepherd the hosts to 250-5 at tea, trailing by 368.

Evening: Still the bowlers refused to give up, and in the second over after the resumption Nathan Smith struck to have Joey Evison caught behind for 27, the tail-ender bottom-edging a short wide ball that nipped back. Every such scalp during the day brought ten minutes of excitement and optimism, and it was very much the job of Jack Leaning to damp such enthusiasm right back down as he ground out a tenacious, game-saving century. Still, in the last half-hour's slowly fading light the leg-spin of Brett D'Oliveira removed Beyers Swanepoel LBW for 54, and in the penultimate over of the day Kashif Ali hit the blockhole in front of leg-stump with a wicked leg-break whose turn beat a wild swipe from Wes Agar and removed his middle stump for 6. 362-8 at close, Kent trailed by 256 with no sign of Worcestershire giving up hope, but any chance of victory was utterly dependent on severe final-day deterioration in a pitch showing no evidence of breaking up.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Four

Morning: A new week began with summer still in the air at Canterbury, and Joe Leach made the first of the day's twelve required breakthroughs having Nathan Gilchrist caught for 12. Another picturesque looping leg-break from Kashif Ali turned off a good length, beat Matt Parkinson's forward defensive and removed his off-stump for 2 to wrap up the first Kent innings on 407 - Jack Leaning contributing an unbeaten 179 of them - which allowed the follow-on to be enforced, and when Jason Holder had Zak Crawley caught behind for 10, things were looking good. But taking lunch on 18-1, the hosts still had the luxury of knowing that three wickets per session would see them home safely.

Afternoon: Hope sprang eternal for Worcestershire with Ben Gibbon having Ben Compton strangled down leg for 11, soon followed by Joe Denly LBW for 10 to Nathan Smith, but the double breakthrough failed to turn into a collapse as Daniel Bell-Drummond and Harry Finch reached tea unscathed on 104-3.

Evening: It would have been a truly memorable session that produced a positive result from such a stalemate, and alas, only Gibbo beating Bell-Drummond's outside edge and clipping the top of off-stump for 41 lit up the last hour before the captains shook hands on a sporadically entertaining but ultimately frustrating draw.

Match DRAWN

The Verdict: After a fortnight of unimaginable tragedy, there was a clear and obvious need for Worcestershire to get out on the field and put in a performance that would pay just the smallest crumb of honour to Josh Baker's memory; on that front, the players did all that the pitch would allow and are to be applauded for their efforts. With Surrey up next, the empty wins column is liable to be looking very troubling a week from now barring something truly special happening down at the Oval, but for the time being the team are giving it all that we - and the young man who wore number 33 - could ever have asked.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division One

vs Surrey

The Oval, London

Day One

Morning: The Pears won the toss and put Surrey in to bat on a sunny Friday in South London, with a lush green pitch undoubtedly influencing the decision. For the first half-hour it seemed like the wisest choice the skipper has made so far this year, as Worcestershire bulldozed the Surrey top order with the new ball; Nathan Smith got the ball rolling - or swinging, more to the point - after three overs when he came right-arm over the wicket to Rory Burns with a delivery that swerved in to the left-hander, beat his attempted glance across the line, and struck his front pad bang in line with leg-stump for 8. Six balls later Joe Leach then claimed his first of the match as he tempted Dom Sibley into a loose drive with a classic fullish delivery outside off that was caught behind for 2, before seeing off Jamie Smith for a four-ball duck to conclude the over, the young man playing inside a straight, good-length delivery that removed his off-stump. At the beginning of his next over it became three in six balls and a potential hat-trick as the big man perhaps deceived Ben Foakes with a slower one which took the edge and flew to second slip for 1. At 15-4 the hosts were in a deep hole, but you don't become two-time reigning champions on the verge of the title hat-trick without batting a long way down, and Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence - a frankly absurd partnership to be defending the fifth wicket - guided Surrey to lunch on a considerably healthier 110-4.

Afternoon: The stand was on the verge of 150 when Smith struck with a full-of-a-length ball outside off that tempted the infamous Pope Grope, an ugly half-arsed drive with the bat dangling at an angle and the feet and head nowhere near the line of the ball, which saw the England international deservedly caught behind for a nonetheless excellent 63. Matthew Waite then strode gratefully through the open door to remove Lawrence with an extravagant outswinger that the ex-Essex ace flashed at wildly, caught behind for 84. It was enough to get Waite on a roll, and with two new men at the crease he duly accounted for Sean Abbott with a short ball caught at deep backward square on the pull for 2 and Gus Atkinson pinned plumb LBW for a duck. Ben Gibbon then stepped up to polish off the tail, having Kemar Roach caught behind for 4 and taking off the bails for a comedy run-out of Daniel Worrall for a duck. 213 all out, it seemed a good day's work so far as the sides went in for tea.

Evening: There was always the danger that the Pears would fare no better against a misbehaving ball than Surrey had, and sure enough, under slate skies and floodlights Worcestershire faced a rough final session. Far too many soft dismissals buried the top order, and at 53-5 some resistance from Brett D'Oliveira and Waitey was highly welcome, until the latter perished LBW to Kemar Roach for 35. With seven overs remaining, bad light stopped the Surrey charge and preserved the Pears at 112-7 overnight, still trailing by 101. A serious tail-wag needed on the morrow if Worcs aren't to be turned over by Sunday.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: The tail-wag, such as it was, added precisely 16 runs to the overnight total before Daniel Worrall accounted for Joe Leach, Ben Gibbon and debutant Yadvinder Singh in a single over, leaving the Pears 128 all out. Nor could the Worcestershire bowlers make inroads before lunch, Surrey cruising to the interval on 50-0.

Afternoon: Having gone wicketless in the first innings, it was no less than Yadi deserved when he claimed his maiden first-class scalp, a nibble from Dom Sibley at a fullish delivery outside off enough to have him caught behind for 29. That breakthrough brought another in the very next over as Gibbo angled a length ball in to Ollie Pope, who glanced it straight to the leg slip newly placed there for precisely that purpose. Yadi then struck again when Rory Burns edged to first slip for 70, and Matthew Waite rounded off the session - the first Worcestershire could lay claim to for twenty-four hours - dismissing Ben Foakes LBW for 3, leaving Surrey 182-4 at tea with a lead of 267.

Evening: There was still time for a brief burst of optimism on a sunny Saturday evening when Gibbo broke the 119-run fifth-wicket stand by bowling Jamie Smith for 72 with a full nip-backer, but having been dropped at deep midwicket on 4, Dan Lawrence was able to spend the rest of the day punishing the Pears with the support of Jordan Clark, the pair reaching stumps on 342-5 with an already formidable lead of 427. It's one-way traffic now, and realistically, barring a record Worcs chase or two days of impeccable batting, the margin of defeat is the only question mark that remains.