Mike Yardy capped a memorable week by scoring his second hundred in four days to help Sussex into a potentially match-winning position at New Road.
Thanks to his well-fashioned 152 from 244 balls and a punishing 82 from 87 by Matt Prior, Sussex romped along at four an over to secure maximum batting points for the first time this season. On a slow pitch, Worcestershire’s disappointing bowling badly lacked penetration.
Bottom of the first division and playing like it, the home side will wonder what might have been had they accepted the chance given by Yardy when he was on five at the start of the day. His edge off Matt Mason bisected the wicketkeeper and first slip, each leaving the ball for the other to catch. But so wasteful were the bowlers with the new ball that as many as 54 runs were leaked in the first nine overs of the morning.
It took a deflection at the nonstriker’s end by the bowler, Ashley Noffke, to break an opening stand of 93 in 20 overs, Chris Nash’s positive 49-ball fifty having contained 12 fours.
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The Worcestershire attack was more disciplined in the afternoon session, when Ed Joyce miscued a pull to deep backward square and Murray Goodwin was caught behind wafting, but in the first seven overs after tea, 57 runs were given away.
Prior, cutting powerfully, surged to a 48-ball fifty with three fours in an over from Chris Whelan as he and Yardy added 119 at nearly five an over for the fourth wicket. The Sussex captain, who pulled and drove many of his 21 fours, was caught behind off the persevering but expensive Whelan, who had Prior held at extra cover.
Worcestershire: First Innings 288 (A A Noffke 89, B F Smith 80)
Sussex: First Innings
*M H Yardy c S M Davies b Whelan 152
C D Nash run out 52
E C Joyce c M M Ali b Kabir Ali 21
M W Goodwin c S M Davies b Whelan 16
M J Prior c Solanki b Whelan 82
†A J Hodd not out 24
D R Smith not out 49
Extras (b 3, lb 4, nb 6) 13
Total (5 wkts, 100 overs) 409
R S C Martin-Jenkins, P P Chawla, C D Collymore and R J Kirtley to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-93, 2-144, 3-196, 4-315, 5-343.
Bowling: Kabir Ali 15-1-51-1; Mason 21-2-90-0; Noffke 18-2-59-0; Batty 23-5-86-0; Whelan 18-1-101-3; Mitchell 5-0-15-0.
Umpires: J W Holder and R A Kettleborough.