Worcestershire defeated Leicestershire by three wickets with a day to spare in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at New Road, thanks in large part to Adam Hose and Gareth Roderick.
Worcestershire lost two wickets for two runs yesterday evening on a ground with inconsistent bounce after being challenged to chase a 271 total – the highest of the game.
Hose, on the other hand, hit an 84, while Roderick worked for more than five hours to make an equally important 59. Then Worcestershire were brought home by club captain Brett D’Oliveira, who battled for 137 deliveries to score an unbeaten 41, and Adam Finch.
Wiaan Mulder took four wickets to help Leicestershire save the game, adding to his five-fors against Derbyshire and Sussex in the previous two games.
Finally, a see-saw third day was a fantastic advertisement for Championship cricket, with one team looking to be in the ascendancy and then the other.
Worcestershire fought back well after being bowled out for 83 in just 21.1 overs on the opening day, displaying incredible character, tenacity, and skill.
Their bowlers set the tone, dismissing Leicestershire for 180 in their second innings, with Joe Leach and Matthew Waite taking nine wickets each.
Then, on a still challenging pitch, their hitters showed wonderful application in attempting to chase down a testing target.
Hose signed a three-year contract with New Road from Warwickshire during the winter, partly because he believed he would have a better opportunity of playing red ball cricket.
Since the completion of the 2019 season, he has not played a Championship game in three years and has spent the past year impressing in T20 cricket.
He finished third in last year’s Vitality Blast and then made a huge contribution for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, earning plaudits from Head Coach Jason Gillespie for his calming influence.
Hose had demonstrated his ability in Championship cricket by scoring 59 and 41 in the previous home game against Sussex, in which England’s Ollie Robinson bowled well to take up 14 wickets.
Given the difficult conditions, he produced a knock worthy of a century in making 84 and was well supported by Roderick. He was a top-five batter with Gloucestershire but has spent the majority of his time at New Road in the middle order.
In this game, he was elevated to No. 3 and offered rock solid assistance for Hose in lowering anchor at the other end.
Worcestershire resumed on 26 for 2 on a pitch that, despite its inconsistent bounce, provided ample encouragement to the bowlers.
Loan approval When Jack Haynes was declared lbw to a delivery slanted back in, Josh Davey achieved the first breakthrough of the day. Before leaving the crease, the England Lions hitter slammed his bat in fury.
Roderick was joined by Hose, who was fortunate to receive a delivery from Davey on the offside. However, he quickly found his stride, straight driving Chris Wright for four and then pulling Davey for six.
The former Warwickshire batter looked in fantastic form, but Roderick’s assistance was also crucial. The 50-run stand was reached in 13 overs, but there was still the possibility of a wayward delivery, and Roderick edged one ball from Tom Scriven high over the slips and keeper to the boundary.
Hose hit his seventh four with a straight drive, completing a magnificent half-century from 66 balls.
By lunch, the third-wicket pair had increased their stand to 92, and the century partnership came soon after the restart from 168 balls.
After lunch, Wright rejoined the attack, and Roderick flipped him off his legs for a boundary. Hose went into overdrive with a flurry of boundaries that got him into the 80s and pulled the target down to a more manageable size.
Hose’s brilliant knock came to an end after he pushed forward to Wiaan Mulder and was caught behind after adding 131 in 37 overs with Roderick. His 117-ball two-and-a-half-hour knock included one six and 14 fours.
Roderick was dropped at slip off Wright on 49 in the same over, completing a 185-ball half-century.
After Hose was dismissed, the scoring stopped, and D’Oliveira had to wait 53 deliveries for his maiden boundary.
Roderick’s patient knock came to an end on 59 when Colin Ackermann clutched onto a chance at second slip off Mulder.
At 206 for 5, the second new ball was bowled, and Matthew Waite struck a quickfire 22 before he and Joe Leach were both bowled lbw by Mulder. But D’Oliveira and Finch kept their nerve to win the game for the home team.