Worcestershire can look forward to another season of Vitality County Championship Division One cricket in 2025 after maiden centurion Ethan Brookes and Gareth Roderick rewrote the record books with a magnificent partnership against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl.
They made sure of retaining their top flight spot when Roderick turned spinner Felix Organ for a single to take the total to 250 and secure a batting point.
It added to the three collected for bowling after dismissing Hampshire for 462 and means they are mathematically out of reach of second from bottom Lancashire.
Roderick (94) and Brookes (132) came together with Worcestershire wobbling at 61-5 and figured in a superb 196 stand.
It surpassed the previous sixth wicket best by Worcestershire against Hampshire of 186 by William Lowe and Frederick Wheldon at Dean Park, Bournemouth 124 years ago.
But this was just the icing on a brilliant all-round effort by Worcestershire’s coaches, support staff and players after gaining promotion from Division Two 12 months ago.
They have stood up to and bounced back with determination and purpose from a series of challenges and adverse situations – eight floods at Visit Worcestershire New Road, the sad death of spinner Josh Baker, overseas players pulling out and having to be replaced at the 11th hour, and the longest injury list in living memory.
Worcestershire have also demonstrated a never say die spirit on so many occasions in matches and turned them around successfully, most notably in the away wins against Durham and Essex when bowled out for 112 and being 10-4 respectively in those two games.
For Brookes in particular, today was an occasion to savour after he made the move from Warwickshire to New Road in search of more first team cricket and he has made his mark in all three formats.
Roderick again delivered when it was needed most and he and Brookes joined forces after a superb opening spell by Muhammad Abbas brought him four wickets.
They reversed the pressure back onto Hampshire during a superb partnership and adopted an aggressive approach to spinners Liam Dawson and Felix Organ.
Brookes in particular executed the reverse sweep and conventional sweep shots in excellent fashion on his way to another crucial contribution.
It followed his maiden Championship half century against Kent and a crucial 46 as part of the comeback from 10-4 in the first innings against Essex.
Roderick, as so many times this summer, was the rock on which Worcestershire built their innings, in red and white ball cricket.
He was solid as a rock but also looked to keep the scoreboard ticking over at every opportunity.
Worcestershire had enjoyed a profitable morning session with the ball in taking the last six Hampshire wickets for 89 runs in 15.5 overs after they had resumed on 373-4.
It enabled them to secure maximum bowling points as Hampshire, for whom Nick Gubbins remained unbeaten on a career best equalling 201, were dismissed for 462 in 111.5 overs.
On loan spinner Amar Virdi completed his first five wicket haul for Worcestershire and ended with 5-133 from 36 overs.
Tom Taylor picked up two more wickets to end with 4-86 from 17 overs to lift his overall tally to 27, the same as New Zealander Nathan Smith.
Taylor made the first breakthrough of the day when Liam Dawson (109) top edged a catch to Adam Hose running around to square leg to end a partnership of 220 with Gubbins.
Tom Prest (9) then turned Taylor into the hands of Ethan Brookes at mid wicket to secure a second bowling bonus point.
Virdi came into the attack for Joe Leach and trapped James Fuller (10) lbw with a delivery angled back in.
He then accounted for Felix Organ (3) with Logan van Beek stepping over the rope at deep mid wicket but palming the ball into the air before stepping back onto the outfield to take the catch.
Virdi completed his five-for and ensured a third bowling point when former Worcestershire bowler Kyle Abbott was lbw after working to leg.
Gubbins had time to complete an excellent double century before van Beek wrapped up the innings with Rob Jones taking a head high catch at second slip to dismiss Muhammad Abbas (4).
Worcestershire were left with 35 minutes batting before lunch and also found it a challenging exercise.
Jake Libby (0) was bowled by a delivery from Abbas which nipped back and hit the top of off stump.
Abbas then dismissed Kashif Ali (0) who pushed forward and edged to James Vince who held onto a low chance at first slip.
Roderick picked up the first boundary of the innings when he cut Abbot square of the wicket and then straight drove the same bowler to the ropes to move onto double figures.
Rob Jones (4) nicked through to keeper Ben Brown to give Abbas his third wicket.
There was time for Roderick to on drive Abbott for another boundary before Worcestershire reached lunch at 24-3 off eight overs.
Abbas made another breakthrough in his first over after the resumption with Adam Hose (1) lbw to an in-swinging delivery.
Roderick and Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira greeted the introduction of spinner Dawson into the attack with a succession of sweep shots which brough boundaries.
But Dawson accounted for D’Oliveira on 19 when an inside edge onto his pad popped up into the hands of Fletcha Middleton at silly mid off.
Abbas was rested after an impressive spell either side of lunch of 9-4-17-4.
Brookes got off the mark with his trademark shot as he swept Dawson to the boundary.
Felix Organ made it an-all spin attack but Brookes in particular went on the offensive with a succession of boundaries from sweep shots.
Roderick was also looking to score at every opportunity and a single off Organ enabled him to complete his half century from 83 balls with eight boundaries.
Brookes went to his fifty from only 52 deliveries with nine fours.
The sixth wicket pair counter-attacked so effectively that the 100 stand spanned only 135 balls and by tea Worcestershire had moved onto 179-5 from 46 overs.
Brookes had a let off on 76 when he reverse swept Organ and the chance was dropped at deep backward square leg.
But he continued to score freely and reached three figures when he swept Organ to third man.
He waved his delight in delight, saluted his team-mates and was then hugged and congratulated by Roderick.
Roderick also deserved to reach three figures but on 94 – from 168 balls with one six and 11 fours – he went lbw to Organ.
Brookes memorable knock also came to an end on 132 when the reverse sweep which had been so productive for him led to his downfall as he was pouched at backward of square off Dawson.
He faced 154 balls and hit 23 boundaries.
Van Beek (3) and Virdi (1) then both went lbw to give Dawson his third and fourth scalps.
Taylor did not appear until the fall of the ninth wicket and Dawson completed his five-for as Leach (4) was caught at slip as Worcestershire were dismissed for 273.
Hampshire opted not to enforce the follow on, with Leach and Virdi sharing the new ball, and they closed on 3-0 from six overs.
