Pears in trouble as their hosts push for a win
Worcestershire are facing a battle to stave off defeat in their Vitality County Championship clash away to Hampshire.
Liam Dawson returned 50 wickets in a Championship season for the first time after scoring an eighth 50 of the season as the hosts closed in on victory.
Spinning all-rounder Dawson reached a half-century of scalps by adding Kashif Ali and Adam Hose to his tally – in doing so beating the 49 wickets he claimed last season – with no spinner in the country taking more this year.
Along with his bowling exploits, no one has passed 50 more times than Dawson in Division One in 2024, as he moved to 907 runs with a 51 which set the Pears 394 runs to win.
The visitors ended the day on117-5, still 277 runs short of victory – but with Jake Libby still undefeated on 55.
Having elected against enforcing the follow-on the previous evening, Hampshire’s second innings was ramshackle and lacking in fluency.
The inability to score run quickly was largely down to Joe Leach’s expertise with a nipping ball – he took three for 47, while Amar Viirdi picked up four for 108 as Hampshire were dismissed for 204.
