Jack Haynes and Josh Dell both scored hundreds and featured in a superb double century stand for Worcestershire Seconds on the opening day of the Second Eleven Championship match with Lancashire Seconds at Stourport.
The duo put on 227 for the first wicket after Seconds captain Ross Whiteley opted to bat.
Haynes batted through the entire day for a splendid undefeated 161 – his maiden Second Eleven Championship century – as Worcestershire secured three batting points in reaching 322-3 from 96 overs by the close.
Haynes and Dell had also put on a century partnership during the first innings of last week’s win over Somerset at Taunton Vale and today laid even more solid foundations.
The pair took full advantage of a good batting strip at Walshes Meadow and brought up the 100 partnership from 165 balls shortly before lunch.
Dell was first to his half-century from 73 balls with a high proportion of 11 boundaries, and Haynes quickly followed him to fifty from 94 deliveries with six fours.
The afternoon session followed a similar pattern, with the 200 stand completed in 54.4 overs.
Dell took advantage of a full toss from spinner Tom Hartley to loft him through mid-wicket for his 20th four and reach three figures off 172 balls.
It was his third Second Eleven Championship hundred – and all of them have been against Lancashire.
He hit 104 at Barnt Green in 2018 and 131 not out at Crosby the following season.
Ten minutes later, Haynes’s turn to celebrate as he square drove another spinner in Jack Morley for two to bring up his hundred containing 13 fours and from 183 deliveries.
A second successive session without a wicket was completed, and Worcestershire went into tea on 227-0 from 64 overs.
The first over after the resumption finally brought the first success for Lancashire when Dell on 107 attempted to cut Morley and was caught at slip.
Xavi Clarke – brother of former Worcestershire batsman Joe Clarke – pushed forward to Morley and was lbw for 12.
Wicket-keeper batsman Alex Milton, who had scored two half-centuries at Taunton Vale, made only a single today before trying to work George Balderson on the legside and being leg before at 266-3.
A regal cover drive for four off George Burrows enabled Haynes to reach his 150 in just six minutes short of six hours.
Captain Whiteley (19 not out) gave Haynes good support in an unbroken stand of 56 by stumps.
