County set up victory chase

7:17pm Friday 8th August 2008

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WORCESTERSHIRE will need Simon Jones back on the field tomorrow if they are to try and secure their fourth successive LVCC Division Two victory.

Having set Derbyshire a target of 404, the New Road side returned to the field after declaring on 296-3 without the Welshman.

Early indications regarding the 29-year-old suggest that his has a slightly tight hamstring.

The 2005 England Ashes hero, who claimed his fourth Championship five-wicket haul in Derbyshire’s first innings, missed the final hour of play If he returns tomorrow morning Jones would be unable to bowl for the opening hour.

Worcestershire effectively put the game beyond the visitors reach following Stephen Moore’s fourth Championship century this season — his first at New Road this term.

The South African-born opener hit a season’s best 156 to leap-frog his skipper Vikram Solanki, who was out for a second ball duck, in the Championship leading scorer race.

Derbyshire resumed the day on 278-6 and after only one ball Jones got the seventh wicket and shortly after the Welshman wrapped up his five-for, which came in 27-ball burst for 17 runs.

Having bowled out Derbyshire for 343 in the first hour of the day, Worcestershire were given plenty of chances from Chris Rogers in the visitors slip cordon as he dropped Daryl Mitchell and then Moore in successive Jon Clare overs.

Mitchell went on to score 42 before the Moore put the visiting attack to the sword with an impressive third-wicket stand with Ben Smith.

Smith once again looked in fine form with another half-century and it can only be a matter of time before the 36-year-old gets his first century in two years.

But on another day when the honours went to the hosts again, their charge towards the first division seems to be relentless.

“That is where we all want to be,” Moore said. “It is very important to be there.

“Division One bowling attacks are generally better than Division Two, but there are some good bowlers in our division — look at ours. You want to have that big first division trophy — it’l be nice to win the second division.”

But Worcestershire’s charge for a fifth win in six matches could be halted by the weather with rain forecast for tomorrow.