The September-Esque cloud cover at least gave the home side some extra incentive at the start of the third day’s play, with Alan Richardson’s side keen to pick up where they left off from the evening prior, after a profitable evening session had seen Durham close 207-6.
The morning was just 20 minutes old when the effervescent Tom Taylor opened Worcestershire’s account for the day, when the seamer drew Ollie Robinson into a prod outside off-stump, with Jake Libby taking an excellent catch at Gully.
Aside from the early blemish, Graham Clark continued his excellent knock from number six, as the middle-order batter picked off some loose deliveries through the offside as he moved through the 70’s.
Kasey Aldridge added a plucky 13, but when Matthew Waite produced a near-unplayable ball to the right-hander, which he could only edge behind, the match’s momentum edged back in Worcestershire’s favour, with Durham 254-8.
Ethan Brookes (2-10) needed just two overs to complete what had been a prosperous morning for the home side, as he ended Clark’s impressive innings on 78, before Ben Raine followed soon after for 13.
Clark could only pull a long hop straight to the grateful hands of Dan Lategan at midwicket, as Brookes celebrated the key breakthrough in fortuitous fashion.
Ben Raine was the final casualty for the away side, when he whipped a ball into the deep on the legside, unsuccessful in his attempt to clear the boundary, as Harry Darley took a composed catch at deep square-leg with Worcestershire completing a fine morning’s work with the ball to dismiss Durham for 268.
Having acquired a handy 40-run lead, Jake Libby and Dan Lategan headed to the middle in overcast conditions, with Libby riding his luck in the early forays as Ben Stokes found his edge twice without any avail.
Navigating a difficult 10-over period before lunch, Worcestershire’s openers ensured they underlined an excellent session by reaching the interval 33-0.
Upon resumption, the established opening partnership enjoyed yet more success, with Libby easing the ball through the off side, whilst the ever-assertive Lategan crunched two powerful drives in successive balls of the 13th over, shortly before the home side passed fifty.
As the sun began to peak through the clouds, two wickets in back-to-back overs threatened to derail the Pears’ progress.