Worcestershire are facing an uphill battle on the final day of their Vitality County Championship encounter with Hampshire despite a determined knock from opener Jake Libby at the Utilita Bowl.
Libby completed 700 Championship runs in 2024 with his seventh fifty plus knock in the competition this summer after Worcestershire had been sent a 394 target.
He ended the day unbeaten on 55 from 133 balls with five fours but a steady stream of wickets at the other end meant Worcestershire closed on 117-5 from 43 overs.
Worcestershire had made sure yesterday of their Division One status for another season and they did well today to overcome the absence of injured joint leading wicket-taker Tom Taylor in dismissing Hampshire in their second innings for 204 in 57 overs.
Joe Leach produced a vintage morning burst which brought him three wickets in his penultimate match before retiring.
It lifted his first class wicket tally to 475, of which 467 have been for Worcestershire.
On loan spinner Amar Virdi picked up another four wickets to give him a match analysis of 9-241.
Virdi had hardly played any red ball cricket during the past three years but has now bowled 60.4 overs in Worcestershire’s win over Essex at Chelmsford and another 61 during this game.
He had little opportunity to bowl on seamer-friendly pitches against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside and Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
But his other two appearances for Worcestershire have produced a total of 14 wickets.
Worcestershire also found batting a challenge in their second innings despite the determined efforts of Libby and he will resume alongside first innings century-maker Ethan Brookes (18 not out) on the fourth day.
Hampshire resumed this morning on 3-0 but Leach’s inspired bowling meant Worcestershire were soon amongst the wickets.
The 33-year-old struck in his first over of the day when Toby Albert (1) was caught down the legside by keeper Gareth Roderick.
Leach made another breakthrough in his third over of the morning with a sharp return catch low to his left off a leading edge by Fletcha Middleton (11).
He then taken out of the attack but returned after swapping ends in place of Logan van Beek and collected his third wicket.
First innings century-maker Nick Gubbins (16) went for a drive and the ball struck the body of Roderick standing up to the stumps and ballooned up to Rob Jones at slip.
It was the 475th first class wicket of Leach’s career, including 467 for Worcestershire.
Virdi settled into a lengthy spell after his first five wicket haul for Worcestershire in the first innings.
He was rewarded when going around the wicket to Ben Brown (0) with a delivery which straightened and Hampshire’s keeper-batter was trapped lbw.
Leach was replaced by Ethan Brookes after splendid figures this morning of 8-3-17-3.
There was another scalp for Virdi when Hampshire skipper James Vince (44) attempted a sweep shot and was bowled via the inside edge and his pad at 90-5 in the 34th over.
Brookes bowled a typically accurate spell while Virdi probed away at the other end.
Liam Dawson and Tom Prest scored freely at the start of the afternoon session in adding 72 for the sixth wicket.
But van Beek ended the partnership with a fine in-swinging delivery to knock out the off stump of Dawson (51).
Virdi continued to probe away while Worcestershire rotated their seamers at the other end in the absence of joint leading wicket-taker Taylor.
Van Beek enjoyed further success when James Fuller (8) went for an attacking shot and feathered through to Roderick.
Virdi added two more wickets in accounting for Tom Prest (40) lbw after he attempted to work the ball on the leg side and then bowled Kyle Abbot (20) after he went for a big hit straight down the ground.
The innings ended when Felix Organ (6) went to reverse sweep Ethan Brookes and was run out by Adam Hose’s throw to the bowler at the non-striker’s end.
Worcestershire set off in pursuit of their target and Roderick (7) pushed forward and was bowled by a Abbott delivery which moved back in.
Libby steered the same bowler to the third man boundary and cut spinner Dawson for four after he came into the attack for the 10th over.
New batter Kashif Ali collected his first boundary at Abbott’s expense backward of point as Worcestershire reached 43-1 at tea.
The 50 came up in the 14th over but without addition to the total Dawson beat the defensive push of Kashif (8) who was given lbw.
Libby looked to keep the scoreboard ticking over and flicked Abbott of his legs for another boundary and new batter Rob Jones used his feet to turn Dawson to the mid-wicket boundary.
Jones (9) pushed at and edged a fine Abbas delivery to Vince at slip and Hose (6) became Dawson’s 50th victim of the season with a ball that turned and Vince clung onto a low chance.
Libby played Dawson off the back foot to cover but Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira (0) was beaten by Middleton’s direct hit and run out after the fifth wicket pair had set off for a single.
A single off Dawson enabled Libby to complete a 106-ball half century.
Brookes was quickly into his stride as he cut Fuller for four and drove Organ off the back foot to the ropes.
