MORNING

After failing to get to the ground on time because I decided to take a detour via the café for breakfast, I must have known what it would be like in advance because we soon as I reached the Allen Stand ASBO gets Moore caught by Joycey with 50 on the board.

Solanki comes in and could have been out almost as quickly had Steve Finn not dropped a sitter off ASBO and then off the very next ball he edged but the ball fell just short of The Special One.

It wasn’t providing to be third time lucky for the former England man with ASBO again finding the edge and this time Scotty did the honours returning him to the best seat in the house for 13 and they were 74-2.

Then like a London bus Dial M was brought back into the attack and trapped Mitchell in front of his stumps for 31 (76-3) bringing Graeme Hick to the crease. Hick was rightly given a warm round of applause.

But alarmingly the over rate was now at -4 forcing Joycey to use The Special One and he largely kept Hick and Smith pinned down, to start a pattern that was to continue after lunch attack anything poor play a straight bat to the rest.

AFTERNOON

Lunch came at 117-3 and progress afterwards was steady until Hick edged Dial M and The Captain took a good catch; it was a good partnership to break up as Hick looked ready to dig in for a long one.

Smith, who was happy to plug away, passed 50 off 83 balls in 90 odd minutes thanks to three short and wide balls from ASBO who was starting to get carted around the park with Davies who took four catches on Tuesday providing a useful contribution.

Like so many other Worcester players, Davies managed to get himself out just as he got in; Joycey taking a good catch off Freedom Pass, around the same time as some people were suggesting it wasn’t a spinner's track.

The Special One was clearly having problems with his front foot from the Nursery End and was no-balled five times during a long spell while Batty and Smith plugged away bringing up a 50 partnership with the visitors 242-5 at tea.

Scotty had a good shout for a stumping of Smith off The Special One before Batty decided to jog a single and Finn returned a ball above Scotty’s head but Nora was so far out of his ground, Scotty had time to gather and knock off the bails.

It was like manna from heaven because it looked like a partnership that was set for the rest of the afternoon.  Smith seemed to lose concentration, like Freedom Pass yesterday when a ton was within reach, giving a chance off The Special One which Joycey gleefully accepted.

NEW BALLS PLEASE

The new ball was due but with the spinners making some headway it was decided to hold off taking it until the third ball of the 83rd over but it wasn’t until Worcestershire reached 299 that Ali was caught by Finn off ASBO giving him his third wicket.

The visitors went ahead when Mason straight drove Dial M for four but, despite his wickets, ASBO largely wasted the new ball, going for two four ball wide’s in one over, and why one of the senior players didn’t have a quiet word is beyond me.

The Special One took care of Mason LBW on 25 and they were nine down for 349, but, much like the matches against Essex and Gloucestershire, we failed to finish off the tail allowing them to put on vital runs.

It is also worth noting that Worcestershire’s second highest scorer after Smith was the extra’s column, which stands at 50, thanks to 20 no balls 12 wides 12 byes and 6 leg byes at the close of play.

In conclusion, today was much like having a conversation with my misses: agony but I will be returning for more of the same tomorrow.

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