County Championship: Worcestershire and Gloucestershire head towards draw

The stand, ultimately worth 116, was finally brought to an end in the 134th over of the innings when Waite was trapped by Hammond with a ball which pitched well outside off but jagged back sharply and rapped his front pad.

After a comparably restrained morning, in which both Brookes and Waite dug in doggedly, there was a little more liberty for the tail to cut loose; Beyers Swanepoel cleared the square leg boundary when he heaved a rank full toss by Hammond towards the city centre.

The South African then fashionably reverse swept Van Buuren for four, but the spinner – in the same over – won the battle when Swanepoel charged him, failed to connect with the delivery and was routinely stumped by James Bracey.

Brookes departed swiftly afterwards when Kristian Clarke sent down a length ball which caught the Worcestershire all-rounder off guard and he feathered through to Bracey.

The 10th wicket then became an irritant for Gloucestershire. Fateh Singh and Tom Taylor batted sensibly to put on a further 34, before Van Buuren relieved the former of his off peg.

It meant that, with a session remaining in the day, Worcestershire’s lead was 99.

The hosts bowled particularly tightly after tea; in the 10th over, and with Gloucestershire having only put 10 runs on the board, Swanepoel made the breakthrough when he found Joe Phillips’ leading edge and Brookes, on the end of the cordon, took a smart catch diving low to his right.

Removing captain Bancroft (37 not out from 90 balls), clamped to the crease, proved a little more arduous in the evening.

The Australian opener resisted Worcestershire’s efforts through to the close alongside young Tommy Boorman (16 not out from 66 balls) and the pair will return on the morning of the final day aiming to defy and frustrate the Worcestershire attack further.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.