County Championship: Joe Leach inspires Worcestershire in Glamorgan duel

Joe Leach has starred for Worcestershire against Glamorgan

Glamorgan face a demanding final-day chase at New Road against Worcestershire as they reached 16-1 after being set 277 to win.

Joe Clarke (98) was Worcestershire's leading light, dominating a 104-run fifth-wicket partnership with fellow England Lions man Ross Whiteley.

Graham Wagg's first five-wicket haul of the season helped peg the home side back in scorching conditions.

But Joe Leach (65 not out) continued his fine match to frustrate Glamorgan.

Leach, who has scored 108 runs in the match and took five first-innings wickets, then dismissed Nick Selman for a pair in his first over of the second innings.

Earlier, Clarke produced a mature innings and was just two shy of his fourth century of the season when he hooked Wagg, only for teenager Lukas Carey to pull off a stunning one-handed boundary catch on the run.

Visiting wicket-keeper Mark Wallace equalled the Glamorgan record of nine catches in a match for the second time this season.

Worcestershire batsman Joe Clarke told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"At Cardiff, when I got a hundred, I got dropped off a caught and bowled by Waggy, an absolute sitter. This time the lad at fine leg has taken a really fine catch. It is just one of those things. I was gutted not to get a big score because I felt I was 'in'."

"It was one of the less fluent innings that I've played this year. I had to really dig in and almost put a few shots away.

"It was a shame we lost two early wickets. Myself and Tom Fell had done the hard work and got us into a reasonable position to kick on and build something and get a good lead."

Glamorgan all-rounder Graham Wagg told BBC Wales Sport:

"A difficult day, but there's no demons in that wicket although they batted extremely well. There was a little bit of spin, Owen Morgan bowled fantastically well and tightly.

"The spinners were coming out quite nicely, but it's an achievement any time you get a five-for, I toiled away and it was hard graft on a slow wicket.

"Over the last couple of games here, there have been high scores and there's been a couple of chases of 300-plus so there's no reason we can't get these runs."