Worcestershire Seconds fought hard with the ball to contain Warwickshire Seconds on day two of the four-day clash at Coventry and North Warwicks CC but face an uphill battle to avoid defeat after early wickets again tumbled in their second innings.
The home side resumed on 182-2 and in the morning session added only 54 runs in 29 overs for the loss of four wickets in the face of some effective and accurate bowling, particularly from Jack Shantry and skipper Charlie Morris.
Worcestershire pulled them back to 205-6 at one stage but an unbeaten century from Alex Thompson enabled Warwickshire to eventually total 391 from 127.4 overs – a first innings lead of 332.
Four wickets then fell for 14 runs as Worcestershire reached 55-4 by the close.
Morris claimed the prized scalp of former England batsman Jonathan Trott who had been dropped on the first evening but was lbw for 32.
Shantry also ripped out three wickets including Alex Mellor and Keith Barker in successive overs.
But Thompson remained undefeated on 101 and added 108 with George Panayi and 77 with Chris Wright before the last three wickets fell for one run.
Shantry ended with figures of 30-6-47-3 and Morris 24-6-66-2 – combined figures of 54-12-113-5 – while Pat Brown (2-94) and George Rhodes (2-21) were also amongst the wickets.
Worcestershire today claimed eight wickets for 209 in 70.4 overs.
But they ran into trouble at the start of their second innings with Rhodes, Ollie Westbury, Tom Fell and Alex Hepburn all falling cheaply.
Ross Whiteley and keeper Alex Milton will resume for Worcestershire tomorrow morning in a partnership so far worth 20 runs.
Warwickshire Seconds – first innings continued
(overnight 182-2)
IJL Trott* lbw b CAJ Morris 32
MJ Lamb lbw b JD Shantry 22
AT Thomson not out 101
AJ Mellor+ lbw b JD Shantry 0
HD Barker c PR Brown b JD Shantry 0
GD Panayi b CAJ Morris 36
CJC Wright lbw b GH Rhodes 42
GT Thornton lbw b GH Rhodes 0
HJH Brookes c and b PR Brown 0
Extras 30
Total (all out) 391
FOW continued: 188, 196, 199, 205, 313, 390, 390, 391
Bowling
JD Shantry 30-6-47-3
CAJ Morris 24-6-66-2
PR Brown 23.4-4-94-2
GLS Scrimshaw 14-1-66-1
A Hepburn 18-6-51-0
GH Rhodes 9-3-21-2
BJ Twohig 9-0-25-0
—–
Worcestershire Seconds – second innings
GH Rhodes b CJC Wright 9
OE Westbury lbw b HJH Brookes 10
TC Fell lbw b GT Thornton 2
A Hepburn b GT Thornton 8
RA Whiteley not out 9
AG Milton+ not out 3
Extras 14
Total (for 4 wickets) 55
FOW: 21, 26, 29, 35
Bowling
KHD Barker 5-2-6-0
CJC Wright 5-2-16-1
GT Thornton 5-2-11-2
HJH Brookes 4-2-5-1
S Singh 2-0-10-0
GD Panayi 2-1-2-0
