Worcestershire v Gloucestershire County Championship Match Report

Fateh Singh (five for 74) posted career best figures as Worcestershire reduced their visitors from 59 for 1 at the beginning of the day to 185 all out - leaving themselves a meagre 87 to defend.

Though Worcestershire’s chase proved nervy and cost five wickets - thanks in no small part to Graeme Van Buuren, who contributed four for 36 - they emerged winners to climb above Lancashire in the lower reaches of Division Two.

Singh kickstarted the day by claiming the wicket of Tommy Boorman with a delivery which straightened and kept low before rapping the young batter on his front pad. It was in contentious circumstances that Singh, in his next over, dismissed Miles Hammond for a duck.

What was appealed for as a caught and bowled was, after the umpires conferred, given - and that was much to the bemusement of Hammond who took his time to trudge off.

That indirectly sparked a substantial middle order collapse, of which Singh was primarily responsible and superbly supported by Matthew Waite (16-7-14-3) - he deservedly opened his own account when pinning James Bracey LBW without offering a shot.

Waite then removed the stubborn Bancroft (56 from 145 balls), who had earlier raised his bat for the second time in the match having punched a full toss from Singh down to the long-on boundary. He departed intending to push an in-swinger into the off-side but only succeeding in picking out Ben Allison at square leg.

By this stage, Gloucestershire were in real trouble and still behind in the game at 97 for 5, but Worcestershire administered further blows to extend the collapse.

Jack Taylor, injured in the first innings, limped to the crease but he was clean bowled by Singh with a beauty which pitched on middle before beating the bat and clipping the top of off-stump.

Singh had a fourth before lunch with another caught and bowled, when Kristian Clarke popped a leading edge shot back up in the air.

Van Buuren (32 from 50 balls) and Daaryoush Ahmed repelled Worcestershire’s attack for the period immediately after lunch and shared in a stand worth 50 runs for the eighth wicket, before Waite sent the former’s off-stump flying.

When Ahmed (27 from 56 balls) too perished, becoming Singh’s fifth victim after edging to the razor-sharp Ethan Brookes at first slip, the end of Gloucestershire’s modest innings was in sight.

Determined tail enders Will Williams and Luke Charlesworth did drag matters out to the point, but the new ball did the trick when Beyers Swanepoel - with the first delivery of his spell - trapped Williams with a full ball which proved too good.

That left Worcestershire with what appeared a relatively straightforward task of chasing down 87 for victory, but Van Buuren instantly got turn and removed Dan Lategan in the very first over of the pursuit to set a few pulses racing.

Worcestershire promoted Swanepoel (35 from 38 balls) up to three following the early dismissal and he applied a chunky dent in the target.

The wily Van Buuren was relentless from one end, however; he snared Libby (five from 22 balls) and then removed Swanepoel himself, caught by Boorman at short leg to make it 52 for 3.

When Adam Hose (two from 10 balls) pushed Clarke to Bancroft - the Australian contributed five catches in the match - Worcestershire were still 30 runs from emerging triumphant and were seemingly making a meal of securing their humble target.

Captain Brett D’Oliveira was the next to depart when he nicked into Bracey’s gloves, but Brookes and the steady Gareth Roderick (24 not out from 54 balls) guided Worcestershire through the remainder of what proved to be an awkward chase.

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two: Day Four

Worcestershire 388 & 87 for 5 beat Gloucestershire 289 & 185 by 5 wickets

Worcestershire 20pts, Gloucestershire 3pts