County Championship: Ed Pollock cracks rapid ton as Pears beat Middlesex at Merchant Taylors' School

Ed Pollock's century was his second for Worcestershire, having hit his first on his debut at Leicester in April

Ed Pollock annihilated Middlesex's bowling attack with a brilliant century as Worcestershire coasted to a resounding seven-wicket County Championship success at Merchant Taylors' School.

Pollock was in ruthless mood, slamming 113 from just 77 balls to register his highest first-class score as the visitors chased down a potentially tricky fourth-innings target of 238 with ease.

The left-hander's performance - which included seven sixes and 11 fours - ensured Worcestershire became the first visiting team to the Northwood ground to taste victory in a red-ball fixture.

It strengthened the Pears' promotion chances, lifting them to within 11 points of Middlesex, who remain second in Division Two for now, despite their first home defeat of the campaign.

Charlie Morris made early inroads in the morning, uprooting Toby Roland-Jones' off stump before Tom Helm squirted him into the hands of mid-on to leave Middlesex eight down and 185 ahead.

But Umesh Yadav's pugnacious approach quickly propelled his new side past 200, thrashing Dillon Pennington over long-off for six and handing out the same treatment to teenage spinner Josh Baker.

The India international dominated a partnership of 41 with Luke Hollman, who fell just four short of his second half-century of the match when he perished at point after Baker persuaded him to reverse-sweep.

Yadav was left unbeaten on 44 from 41 balls when Middlesex's innings finally came to a close at 240, after Tim Murtagh was caught behind swishing at Joe Leach.

If the target appeared awkward, Worcestershire's openers looked completely unflustered, as Roland-Jones' first two overs disappeared for 22 - and Pollock and Jake Libby raced to 50 inside the first seven.

Hollman and Yadav succeeded in stemming the pre-lunch flow of runs - but the onslaught resumed after the interval, when Pollock hooked Roland-Jones for six and then slammed another boundary in the same over to reach his half-century.

Helm eventually achieved the breakthrough, having Libby (31) caught behind attempting to cut, but the wicket failed to disrupt Pollock's rhythm and he ruthlessly pulled the first ball of Murtagh's second spell over the fence.

The opener's hundred arrived from just 67 deliveries, with Taylor Cornall - who contributed 12 to the second-wicket stand of 82 - required to do little more than stand and applaud.

Pollock eventually perished, pulling Yadav down the throat of deep square leg with 71 still needed, but his job was long since done and it was left to Cornall (31 not out) and captain Brett D'Oliveira (33 not out) to steer Worcestershire over the line.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.

Middlesex captain Tim Murtagh:

"We were pretty happy walking out to field with 240 on the board. I don't think we could have done much more with the bat to get up to a score we felt comfortable defending. But that was pretty much the last good thing we did in the day.

"It just shows if you're slightly off and someone has an absolute day out, these things can happen.

"Pollock took his chances, we didn't start well enough and balls kept landing in the gap, just over the heads of fielders or just over the rope at times."

Worcestershire opener Ed Pollock told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"It was very much in the balance. The ball had been doing something all game so it was going to be an interesting chase.

"After the last 10 weeks, where I haven't scored a bean, I was thinking 'I've got in, I'm going to make this count'. I owe the team a lot of runs, I had a lot of making up to do.

"I wanted to be as positive as I could. As much as anything, it's back to watching the ball and reacting to the ball, but it's also the positive intent that goes with it and I came out with that mindset.

"I wore the ball four or five times. There were still enough demons in there but it was very much a case of cashing in when it was in my area."