An excellent all-round bowling performance from Leicestershire restricted Worcestershire to a meagre total of 175 at New Road. There was some seam movement on a pitch with an even covering of grass, but it was swing that really undermined the home team.
Some indifferent batting was also an important factor in Worcestershire’s subsidence to 77-6. Ben Cox, who only finished his A levels at Bromsgrove School last week, showed his more experienced team-mates what could be achieved with a composed 42 from 63 balls. The 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman added 71 in 21 overs for the seventh wicket with Gareth Andrew, who compiled a well-made unbeaten 53 from 96 balls.
Will Jefferson and Jacques du Toit, with fifties off 65 and 58 balls respectively, rammed home Leicestershire’s advantage, putting the pitch into perspective.
Worcestershire, who won what proved to be a good toss to lose, suffered an immediate setback when Daryl Mitchell was out to the fifth ball of the match, Matthew Hoggard hitting the top of his off-stump with one that cut back. Phil Jaques soon followed, surprised by extra bounce when he tried to pull Nadeem Malik.
Alex Kervezee played on to the same bowler in what was a very accurate spell, before Moeen Ali, already dropped at first slip off Hoggard, was eventually beaten by an inswinger from James Benning. Nathan Buck, who was as impressive as any of the visiting pace quartet, found the edge of both Ben Smith and James Cameron’s bats. The latter got out to an irresponsible drive outside off-stump in the first over after lunch.
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Hoggard was obliged to bring on his two spinners in an attempt to break the troublesome seventh-wicket partnership, and his bowling changes, which had worked well all day, again bore fruit when Jigar Naik had Cox caught behind thanks to extra bounce. The off-spinner picked up a second wicket when Matt Mason was caught at slip, with Claude Henderson also claiming a couple of victims with his left arm spin.
Leicestershire soon lost Paul Nixon when they batted, but Du Toit joined Jefferson to add 107 in just 19 overs for the second wicket as Worcestershire could not match the discipline or penetration of their opponents’ attack. Du Toit eventually fell to a top-edged sweep, and although Jefferson was also trapped leg before shortly before the close by the ever-improving Richard Jones, Leicestershire finished the day in a commanding position, with every chance of forcing a second consecutive championship win.
Worcestershire: First Innings
*D K H Mitchell b Hoggard 0
P A Jaques c Henderson b Malik 8
M M Ali lbw b Benning 33
A N Kervezee b Malik 1
B F Smith c New b Buck 14
J G Cameron c Du Toit b Buck 15
†O B Cox c New b Naik 42
G M Andrew not out 53
R A Jones lbw b Henderson 0
M S Mason c Jefferson b Naik 1
J D Shantry c Jefferson b Henderson 1
Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 2) 7
Total (59.1 overs) 175
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-24, 3-29, 4-60, 5-66, 6-77, 7-148, 8-149, 9-154.
Bowling: Hoggard 13-5-34-1; Buck 12-3-29-2; Malik 12-4-50-2; Benning 9-2-21-1; Henderson 8.1-1-21-2; Naik 5-2-15-2.
Leicestershire: First Innings
W I Jefferson lbw b Jones 64
P A Nixon c Cox b Mason 11
J du Toit c Cox b Ali 57
J W A Taylor not out 13
N L Buck not out 4
Extras (b 6, lb 8) 14
Total (3 wkts, 36 overs) 163
J G E Benning, †T J New, J K H Naik, C W Henderson, M N Malik and *M J Hoggard to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-130, 3-150.
Bowling: Mason 12-5-30-1; Jones 10-0-45-1; Andrew 7-0-36-0; Shantry 4-0-18-0; Ali 3-0-20-1.
Umpires: J H Evans and N A Mallender.