Date-stamped : 17 Jun97 - 14:18 Rhodes` 78 saves Worcestershire By David Green at Bristol First day of four: Worcester-shire 243-8 v Gloucestershire WORCESTERSHIRE, who chose to bat on a muggy morning, lunched unhappily at 65 for five but were rescued by responsible batting from Reuben Spiring, 52, Steve Rhodes, 78, and Stuart Lampitt, 51 not out. Indeed, with batting becoming comparatively simply on an easy paced pitch, the carelessness of some of Worcestershire`s early play was emphasised. Gloucestershire seamers certainly used the new ball efficiently, though, and their close catching was typically predatory. The home side took the field full of bounce, as befits champi- onship leaders, and struck early blows when Tim Curtis edged a Jon Lewis outswinger to third slip and, next over, Phil Weston nicked Mike Smith. Enter Graeme Hick, who has been struggling in the champi- onship. He announced himself with three sumptuous boundaries, before falling lbw playing half forward. Gavin Haynes and Spiring held on almost until lunch. Shaun Young then hit Haynes`s stumps with an outswinger of full length and next over David Leatherdale driving airily, edged Mark Al- leyne to Monte Lynch at second slip. If this seemed a profligate act, Vikram Solanki matched it, hooking the second ball after lunch down long leg`s throat. But then Rhodes, acting captain in Tom Moody`s absence with a viral infection, dug in determinedly with Spiring. Both players watched the ball carefully and attempted nothing ex- travagant until, after an hour or so at the crease, Spiring be- gan to thump the ball firmly through midwicket and also drove pleas- antly. Smith, the pick of the Gloucestershire attack, finally beat Spiring with a yorker which dipped in but Rhodes, so often a thorn in Gloucestershire`s side, found a valuable lieutenant in Lampitt. Though the ball occasionally passed the bat during the final session, Worcestershire steadily regained lost ground. The eighth wick- et had added 124 when Alleyne finally bowled Rhodes who had batted with composure for more than four hours. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Last-wicket pair come to rescue By David Green at Bristol Second day of four: Worcs (250 & 36-0) lead Gloucs (229) by 57 runs GLOUCESTERSHIRE, having briskly finished off Worcestershire`s first innings, found the same problems in batting as had the visi- tors on Thursday, before Rob Cunliffe, Martyn Ball and Jon Lewis per- formed a rescue act. Of the early batsmen, only Cunliffe, with 48, looked at ease, though the pitch remained easy-paced, and Gloucestershire had de- clined to 162 for nine before Ball and Lewis put on 67 for the last wicket. Worcestershire`s seamers, missing their spearhead Phil Newport through injury, bowled well, exploiting some movement through the air under thick cloud cover. Worcestershire, 243 for eight overnight, lost both remaining wickets to Alleyne, who thus accounted for their last three bats- men in 12 balls without conceding a run. But matters then went less well for Gloucestershire. Alamgir Sheriyar and Bobby Chapman gave Tony Wright and Nick Trainor some anxious moments with the new ball, but it was Stuart Lampitt who broke through, Trainor being caught behind. Wright chipped a slower ball back to Gavin Haynes and when Monte Lynch, having struck five rasping fours, was bowled through a fierce pull it seemed that, as on the first day, batsmen would con- tinue to self-destruct. Cunliffe, given a life when eight, played some lovely strokes past cover off either foot, but there was little hint of perma- nence at the other end and Cunliffe`s departure, caught behind, seemed to signal the innings` demise. Ball and Lewis, though, had other ideas. Both hit hard off the front foot and had done much to restore their side`s fortunes when Lewis, on 30, became Steve Rhodes`s fifth victim, Ball re- maining unbeat- en with 40. Worcestershire, with 20 overs to face in the evening, made steady if unspectacular progress under clearer skies, their only moment of alarm coming when Tim Curtis survived a big appeal for caught behind off the bowling of Shaun Young. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Hick out of his shell By Paul Weaver at Bristol Third day of four: Gloucestershire (229 & 9-1) trail Worces- tershire (250 & 350-4 dec) by 362 runs FOR much of yesterday Graeme Hick was locked in grim, unfamil- iar, run-an-over scoring combat with Tim Curtis, a race between the tortoise and the tortoise which was not fable but all too painful reality for the small gathering of spectators. Then, slowly, almost reluctantly, Hick eased into second gear and edged ahead of his partner to reach his first century of the season, his seventh against Gloucestershire and the 92nd of his ca- reer; the same as Mike Gatting, although over a shorter period. Hick was the last batsman to score 1,000 runs in May. He did so by scoring 172 against West Indies in 1988, his last possible in- nings of the month. His fall-away in form is so pronounced that he only dribbled to 100 championship runs for the season dur- ing his first innings score of 12 in this match. Until yesterday his highest score of the season was 37. Hick`s previous century was also scored at the expense of Gloucestershire, at Worcester in September. But in the morning Mark Alleyne and his team appeared to be an unlikely omen for the former England batsman. Worcestershire resumed on 36 for no wicket and only nine runs were added before Hick came to the crease at the fall of Phil Weston`s wicket. He had not scored when he edged Mike Smith through the slips for four. Curtis outscored his partner for most of the first hour and reached his 50 off the last ball of the 42nd over. Hick reached his half century by straight-driving Mike Smith for four, passed Curtis when he got to 90 and reached his 100 when he edged an attempted drive off Martyn Ball. Dave Houghton, Worcestershire`s coach, said: "Graeme has been in a difficult situation because everyone felt sure he would score hundred after hundred this season. He desperately wants his place back in the England side but now, because he knows he has so much to do, the pressure is off in a sense. No-one should write him off be- cause batsmen like Graham Gooch and Allan Border reached their best form in their thirties." Worcestershire were 241 for three at tea with Hick 120 and Curtis 96. Curtis, looking the more composed batsman, in his final sea- son, reached his third century of the year shortly af- ter the inter- val. Hick was finally out when he clipped a ball to midwicket for 137, scored from 229 balls with 17 fours and a six, to leave Worcester- shire strongly placed at 272 for two, a lead of 293. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) By David Green at Bristol Worcs (250 & 350-4 dec) bt Gloucs (229 & 276) by 95 runs FROM the moment that Tony Wright sliced the day`s first ball to second slip, making Gloucestershire nine for two, Worcestershire were on top and they duly recorded their first championship win of the season. Gloucestershire battled away, Jack Russell top-scoring with 65, his fifth half- century in eight championship innings, and useful contributions came from Tim Hancock, Mark Alleyne and Monte Lynch, but a victory target of 372 always looked too steep. This was a good performance by Worcestershire who, while un- fortunate with the weather in previous games, had not really gelled. Shrugging off the absence of Tom Moody, Phil Newport and Richard Illing- worth, they certainly did the business in this match. After both sides had batted moderately in their first innings Tim Curtis, with his third century in eight championship innings, and Graeme Hick, with his first of the season, indeed his first substantial championship score, set up their declaration. Gloucestershire still have problems at the top of their order and, chasing such a total, they certainly did not want to be 38 for four after 10 overs yesterday morning. Bobby Chapman, strong and getting some bounce, dismissed Wright and nightwatchman Jon Lewis, then Stuart Lampitt, ad- mirably per- sistent, found a good one to clip Rob Cunliffe`s offstump and put Gloucestershire in the mire. Lynch met the crisis in typical style, launching himself at Chapman in particular and hitting nine fours in his 37 before edging a cut, but Alleyne and Shaun Young then batted pretty comfortably. Gloucestershire`s fortunes were mending when Young, seeking an improbable second run, was sent back and failed to regain his ground. When Gavin Haynes breached Alleyne`s defence all seemed over but Russell and Hancock fought a bold rearguard ac- tion. Profiting from attacking fields Russell hit 10 fours off 119 balls before carving Lampitt to gully. Gloucestershire thus slipped from the top of the table but could still prove re- silient enough to sustain their challenge. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)