Worcestershire v Leicestershire: Leach & Tongue set up victory chance for hosts

Joe Leach removed Michael Carberry and Mark Cosgrove early in Leicestershire's second innings

Worcestershire's new-ball duo Joe Leach and Josh Tongue created the chance to force a win over Leicestershire which would put them top of Division Two.

Leicestershire were reduced to 10-4 by Leach (2-27) and Tongue (2-11) before they ended 111-7, a lead of 22.

Earlier, starting on 270-4 in reply to the visitors' 404, Worcestershire lost Brett D'Oliveira (138) early but Ben Cox (77) helped them to 493 all out.

Left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson ended with a career-best 8-148.

Parkinson took five of the final six Worcestershire wickets on day three, giving him Leicestershire's best Championship figures since Devon Malcolm's 8-63 against Surrey in 2001.

A victory at New Road will take the home side nine points clear of Nottinghamshire at the top of Division Two, although Notts have two games left to play and Worcestershire just one.

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2-36) raised his side's hopes of an eighth Championship win of the season when he dismissed Ben Raine, caught at slip, in the final over of the day's play.