Pears fight back after Lancashire wicket burst

Anderson Phillip's removal of Lancashire old boy Rob Jones was the first of three wickets in six balls

Vitality County Championship Division One, Visit Worcestershire New Road (day one)

Worcestershire 119-7 (26 overs): Waite 47*; Bailey 3-9, Phillip 3-44

Lancashire: Yet to bat

Worcestershire 0 pts, Lancashire 2 pts

Match scorecard

Lancashire made a lively start in their bold bid to escape relegation only to then suffer a spirited Worcestershire fightback on a rain-shortened, but hugely dramatic day of just 26 overs of cricket.

After the weather prevented any play before lunch, Lancs won the toss, put the Pears in and quickly reduced their hosts to 22-5.

But then, having slid further to 56-7, Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek carried the fight back, blasting 63 in seven overs.

The pair plundered six sixes between them as the visiting attack, having looked almost unplayable with the new ball, were suddenly made to look ordinary.

After last week’s win in Manchester to end Somerset's title chances, Lancashire began the game 15 points adrift of third-from-bottom Nottinghamshire and 20 points behind seventh-placed Warwickshire.

With Notts facing the Bears, Lancs knew they had to win and hope that one of their two rivals has a bad week at Trent Bridge - but they also needed the weather to go their way. And that has so far not really proved the case, with more heavy overnight rain forecast.

Their pace attack at least began well as Tom Bailey bowled splendidly, back to his best as he sent down eight overs on the trot to take 3-9, backed by West Indian signing Anderson Phillip, who also took three wickets before taking some tap from Waite and van Beek.

The inclusion of fit-again Waite and young seamer Jack Home were the two changes made by the Pears after sealing their own safety against Hampshire last week, to replace on-loan spinner Amar Virdi and the injured Tom Taylor.

But it was unchanged Lancashire who made an almost immediate impact when Bailey’s second delivery of the opening over removed Gareth Roderick, caught at fourth slip.

Jake Libby was then caught at third slip off Phillip, who had Lancs old boy Rob Jones caught behind before Bailey struck twice in an over, Kashif Ali caught at first slip and Brett D’Oliveira at second slip.

It was then 39-6 when George Balderson bowled Ethan Brookes before Phillip came back into the attack to get Adam Hose, who tried to drive a delivery slanted towards leg stump and ended up deflecting to Jennings at second slip.

But Waite and van Beek went on the attack, taking 15 off Will Williams' first over - and the visitors were only spared further punishment by the tea interval, and then a last downpour of the day to wipe out the final session.

Leach honoured ahead of final Pears game

Joe Leach received his parting gift from (from left): Worcestershire chairman Dominic Riley, chief executive Ashley Giles and club president Phil Neale

To mark the start of his final game, retiring former Worcestershire captain Joe Leach was honoured with a public presentation to mark the 33-year-old Staffordshire-born former Shropshire player's 13 seasons as a proud Pear.

"It was a lovely gesture from the club at lunchtime," he said. "And it’s not going to be the first time this week I’m going to be close to tipping over the edge emotionally.

"I’ve kind of sleepwalked into this week. I’ve not consciously ignored that it was coming, but it has hit me hard.

"I was really nervous this morning. I was up really early and had butterflies in the stomach like it was my first game. But the fact we haven’t bowled yet has been a bit of a benefit and allowed me a bit of time to get my head around it."