Worcestershire well placed against Gloucestershire

Worcestershire openers Philip Weston and Anurag Singh went some way towards wiping out Gloucestershire's first innings total of 222 on a busy opening day at New Road.

When light rain stopped play with 16 overs to bowl, they had put on an unbroken 84 to make the most of paceman Andy Bichel's second demolition job on the West Country side this season.

The Australian followed up a career-best 6 for 44 at Bristol in May by taking 6 for 54 on a pitch with plenty of seam movement and some disturbing lift.

Bichel went without reward in his new-ball spell, and despite losing early wickets to Kabir Ali and David Leatherdale, Gloucestershire looked well-placed after a measured 54 by Kim Barnett.

But Bichel came back shortly before lunch to land a double blow. In successive balls, Barnett drove to backward point and Mark Alleyne edged to wicket-keeper Steve Rhodes.

Chris Taylor, with 50 from 85 balls, promised a recovery in the afternoon until Bichel and Stuart Lampitt accounted for Jeremy Snape and Ian Harvey in consecutive overs.

Taylor then went to an edge off Kabir and Bichel later removed Jack Russell and James Averis in the space of three balls as Gloucestershire approached terminal decline at 183 for 9.

But last man Ben Gannon helped put on a useful 39 as Martyn Ball attacked Bichel and eventually reached 45 from 60 balls with nine fours.

The final act was almost bizarre. Gannon was badly dropped at square leg and took a single to bring Ball back on strike but he fell to a catch at second slip from Bichel's next delivery.