County Championship: Worcestershire dominate day three at Leicester

Ed Pollock re-joined Worcestershire from Warwickshire at the end of last season

Worcestershire opener Ed Pollock smashed a maiden first-class century to put the Pears in complete control of their County Championship fixture against Leicestershire.

The former Warwickshire opener, who moved to Worcestershire with the aim of playing red ball cricket, hit 10 fours and two sixes as he raced to 112 off just 122 balls.

At the end of a protracted final session the visitors were 234-5 and led by 369 runs.

Pollock and fellow opener Jake Libby shared a second-innings stand of 163 at more than five an over after Leicestershire had been bowled out for 213, to just avoid the threat of being asked to follow on. Former skipper Joe Leach took 4-37 to go with his first-innings 70.

Leicestershire, resuming on 42-3, had earlier suffered a big blow when captain Colin Ackermann, was given out leg before when he left a delivery from Leach that came back and hit his back pad.

Lewis Hill and Harry Swindells put on 55 for the fifth wicket. But Swindells was bowled by a swinging delivery from Ed Barnard, who then had Ben Mike caught at mid-on.

When Hill himself was bowled for 93, chopping a wide delivery from Dillon Pennington into his leg stump, the Foxes' prospects of saving the follow-on looked remote.

Another 34 were still needed when last man Beuran Hendricks joined Chris Wright at the wicket - but they put on 48, Wright hitting spinner Josh Baker for three fours down the ground to get them past the target.

Leicestershire batsman Lewis Hill told BBC Radio Leicester:

"I was disappointed not to go to three figures after working hard to get close.

"It was good to feel the form I found last season was still there though, after I had to miss the pre-season games with Covid.

"The pitch seemed to have freshened up a bit overnight in the first hour, and they bowled well. Very disciplined in their lines."

Worcestershire's Ed Pollock told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"As the lads pointed out at change of innings, it was set up for me perfectly.

"Just because I'm playing the red ball game doesn't mean I'm going to change. If the ball is there to be hit I'm going to hit.

"I reined it in a bit as the three figures came into sight and it helped batting with Jake Libby. He's very level-headed and kept talking to me."

Report supplied by ECB Reporters Network.