Periodic showers throughout yesterday restricted play to only 8.1 overs, during which Worcestershire added a further 17 runs without loss. Mark Newton, the club's chief executive, revealed that the water-table was only “an inch to an inch and a half” below the surface of the outfield. Play today could be under threat if there is much overnight rain.

There was good news, however, for Graeme Hick, whose elbow operation on Wednesday went well. “He's very cheerful,” Newton said, adding that Hick should miss only one more Championship match, at Northampton next week.

Conveniently, the club have a three-day encounter against Loughborough UCCE starting May 7, a practice game that Hick will probably sit out to give himself as much recovery time as possible.

Simon Jones, who suffered a neck injury in the draw against Warwickshire last week, has had a cortisone injection and could be fit for the Friends Provident Trophy match against Somerset on Sunday. Jones's partner gave birth to a son on Wednesday morning.

Worcestershire: First Innings (overnight 258-7)

D K H Mitchell c Nixon b Kruger 23
S C Moore b Kruger 14
*V S Solanki c du Toit b Henderson 65
B F Smith lbw b Henderson 49
M M Ali c Nixon b Allenby 22
S M Davies not out 59
G J Batty c New b Allenby 4
K Ali b Allenby 0
G M Andrew not out 25

Extras (lb 8, w 2, nb 4) 14

Total (7 wkts, 105.1 overs) 275

S J Magoffin and C D Whelan to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-49, 3-145, 4-168, 5-200, 6-204, 7-208.

Bowling: Malik 21-5-48-0; Cummins 28.1-7-69-0; Kruger 19-3-77-2; Allenby 14-2-37-3; Henderson 23-8-36-2.

Leicestershire: M A G Boyce, T J New, H D Ackerman, J du Toit, J Allenby, *P A Nixon, C W Henderson, J W A Taylor, G J P Kruger, R A G Cummins, M N Malik.

Umpires: V A Holder and T E Jesty.

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