Worcestershire Seconds were forced to follow on but staved off a defeat inside two playing days after another late order contribution with by the bat by Josh Tongue against Warwickshire Seconds at Barnt Green.
The Seconds were bowled out for 214 in their first innings in reply to Warwickshire’s 470-4 declared with Tongue top-scoring with 56.
When bad light brought an early finish, Worcestershire stood on 155-7 in their second innings with Tongue again their highest scorer on 32 not out.
They struggled to come to terms with the Warwickshire attack after resuming in their first innings on 12-0.
Three of the first four batsmen were caught at second slip by Dominic Sibley as the new ball attack of Keith Barker and Chris Wright bowled impressively.
The other member of the top four, skipper Ollie Westbury, nicked Barker to Jonathan Trott at first slip.
Josh Dell made 32 before he was caught behind off Wright and Worcestershire stood on 129-8 when Tongue and Dillon Pennington joined forces and added 71 in 12 overs for the ninth wicket.
Tongue struck four sixes and six fours in his 52 ball knock before he holed out to long on to leave Pennington undefeated on 36 from 48 deliveries with four boundaries at the conclusion of the innings.
It was a similar pattern in the second innings and Tom Fell (0) provided Sibley with another catch at second slip off Wright.
Westbury scored 30 of the 32 runs on the board before he holed out to Liam Banks at third man off Ryan Sidebottom.
George Rhodes defied the Bears attack for two hours in making 29 before he was caught at mid on on George Panayi.
A finish with a day to spare after a first day wash-out looked a possibility until Tongue and Xavier Clarke added an unbroken 42 for the eighth wicket before the players left the field.
Clarke was called up from the Academy game at Bromsgrove against Leicestershire to replace Brett D’Oliveira who suffered a badly bruised finger when fielding on the second day.
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WORCESTERSHIRE SECONDS – FIRST INNINGS CONTINUED
(overnight 12-0)
Westbury c Trott b Barker 15
Fell c Sibley b Wright 10
G. Rhodes c Sibley b Barker 6
Milton c Sibley b Panayi 15
Haynes c Mellor b Panayi 10
Dell c Mellor b Wright 32
X. Clarke c Barker b Rhodes 16
Twohig c Banks b Panayi 3
Tongue c Panayi b Singh 56
Pennington not out 36
Morris c Mellor b Lamb 0
Extras 15
Total (all out) 214 in 53.4 overs
FOW: 20, 31, 40, 51, 82, 101, 111, 129, 200, 214
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BOWLING
Barker 11-3-44-2
Wright 9-1-24-2
Sidebottom 9-1-26-0
Panayi 12-2-41-3
W. Rhodes 6-1-31-1
Singh 5-1-36-1
Lamb 1.4-1-3-1
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WORCESTERSHIRE SECONDS – SECOND INNINGS
Westbury c Banks b Sidebooom 30
Fell c Sibley b Wright 0
G. Rhodes c Sidebottom b Panayi 29
Milton lbw Sidebottom 2
Haynes lbw Wright 18
Dell lbw W. Rhodes 9
X. Clarke not out 8
Twohig c Singh b Rhodes 8
Tongue not out 32
Extras 19
Total (for 7 wickets) 151 in 44 overs
FOW: 10, 32, 36, 73, 100, 100, 113
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BOWLING
Barker 5-1-20-0
Wright 8-3-12-2
Sidebottom 10-2-44-2
Panayi 9-1-28-1
Lamb 4-0-29-0
W. Rhodes 5-1-12-2
Singh 3-0-5-0
