KIDDERMINSTER

(Day one of four, Worcestershire won toss)

Worcestershire 265 (SC Moore 111, CD Whelan 58, TJ Murtagh 6-52)

Lunch

Graeme Hick has played his last game for Worcestershire. The former England batsman, who had already announced that he was retiring at the end of the season, was unable to make a farewell appearance on the club ground where he qualified for the county because of an elbow injury. It will also keep him out of the NatWestPro40 play-off against Glamorgan at Cardiff on Sunday.

In his absence, Worcestershire, needing eight points to be sure of promotion, were soon in trouble after choosing to bat in gloomy conditions on a pitch that helped Tim Murtagh, the Middlesex seamer.

Murtagh struck in his fourth over, having Daryl Mitchell caught by Eoin Morgan at second slip and Vikram Solanki well taken low down at first slip by Andrew Strauss off successive balls.

Ben Smith, who has been awarded a benefit next season, was next to go, clean bowled by Murtagh, but Stephen Moore was undaunted, reaching his fifty off 59 balls with a six and eight fours.

Tea

partnership of 79 when he was leg before to Alan Richardson and Worcestershire were well on the way to recovery when Moore completed his sixth first-class century of the season off 126 balls with two sixes and 16 fours.

Then Steven Davies, who had shared in a fifth wicket stand of 62, was caught at first slip off Dirk Nannes to trigger a collapse that saw Worcestershire lose four wickets for three runs in 12 balls.

Nannes had Gareth Batty caught behind fourth ball before Murtagh returned to have Moore caught behind for 111 and Gareth Andrew caught at fourth slip for a duck.

Those two wickets took Murtagh past Worcestershire’s Kabir Ali as the second division’s leading wicket-taker and he picked up his sixth of the innings and 61st of the season when he had Dilhara Fernando caught behind for a duck.

It looked as though Worcestershire would not even manage a single batting point until Chris Whelan, whose previous highest score was 12, defied his former county with a fighting 58, Andrew Harris supported him a last wicket stand of 62 and they finished up with two.