Fruitless effort by Pears

Moore: Big hundred

Related links

Teams

• Derbyshire
• Worcestershire

Also see

• Play Fantasy Cricket
• Sky Sports experts
• Live scores

LV County Championship - Division Two
New Road - Day Three
Worcestershire 450-8 dec (G A Hick 149, B F Smith 76, S M Davies 71, V S Solanki 54) & 296-3 dec (S C Moore 156, B F Smith 72 no) v Derbyshire 343 (G M Smith 88, P M Borrington 85, S P Jones 5-110) & 34-0
Worcestershire (12pts) drew with Derbyshire (9pts)

Rain washed out the final day of Worcestershire's Division Two clash with Derbyshire - denying the hosts the chance to push for a fourth straight win.

Bad weather rain set in nearly two hours before the scheduled start of play and the umpires finally called off play at 1.20pm.

The visitors had been set to resume on 34-0 in their second innings after being set a tough target of 404 in 112 overs.

Worcestershire opener Stephen Moore had set up the situation with 156, making him the first batsman to reach 1,000 first-class runs this season.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on victory, the promotion-chasing Pears remain on top of the table after picking up 12 points

Day Three

Stephen Moore hit a sparkling 152 to set-up Worcestershire's chance of victory against Derbyshire at New Road.

Moore's smashed fourth century of the season was a lightning quick one, with his 152 coming off just 168 balls and including 15 fours and four sixes as he became the second man to reach the 1000 Championship runs for the season.

Derbyshire made beyond the follow-on target to get to 343 all out after starting on 278-6, with Simon Jones completing his fourth five-wicket haul of the summer.

Moore then took charge with the bat, including a 172-run partnership in just 33 overs with Ben Smith (72 not out) as the Pears declared on 296-3 to set an unlikely victory target of 404 for Derbyshire from a minimum of 112 overs.

Jones completed his five-for by getting rid of Tom New and Graham Wagg, but the England hopeful did not bowl in Derbyshire's second innings as a precaution over a tight hamstring.

Derbyshire did manage to avoid the follow-on after getting beyond 301, but then had to watch Moore and Daryl Mitchell put on 93 for the first Worcestershire wicket.

Vikram Solanki went for a duck but Moore and Smith made their hefty stand in good time enabling the hosts to push on quickly and declare on 296-3 with a lead of 403.

Derbyshire made 34-0 by the close of the day and will more likely have to bat out the day for a draw rather than go for an unlikely win.

Day Two

Simon Jones took three wickets in 10 balls to dent Derbyshire's progress in the County Championship Division Two match against Worcestershire at New Road.

The England paceman ended the battling innings of Greg Smith and Paul Borrington as the visitors made 278-6 in reply to Worcestershire's 450-8 declared.

Smith led the way with a career-best 88 while Borrington just missed out on his second century of the season against Worcestershire by making a

Championship-best 85.

Derbyshire, who need 301 to avoid the follow-on, resumed on 27 without loss and soon began to benefit from a clutch of dropped catches.

Chris Rogers and Borrington both survived good chances as they added 50 in 19 overs before Derbyshire reached lunch at 111-2.

Borrington and Smith dominated the afternoon session with a century partnership, but their double actfinally ended, however, when Borrington, playing defensively after five and a half hours at the crease, edged to Davies off Jones in his first over back with the new ball.

Two deliveries later the Jones-Davies combination struck again to oust Rikki Clarke before the New Road pair pounced for a third time to see off Smith.

Worcestershire's hopes of further progress, however, were thwarted when rain stopped play 17.2 overs early with Jones having taken 3-72 in 20.4 overs.

Day One

Graeme Hick rolled back the years with his 136th first-class ton to help Worcestershire declare on 450-8 against Derbyshire at New Road.

Despite losing their first wicket without a run on the board, the promotion-chasing Pears galloped along at well above five runs an over to claim maximum batting points.

Hick led the onslaught of the Derbyshire bowlers with 149 from 151 balls, hitting 18 fours and two sixes in his innings that was eventually ended by visiting skipper Rikki Clarke.

The former England batsman put on a fourth-wicket stand of 184 in 27 overs with Ben Smith (76) after skipper Vikram Solanki had already smacked 54 at faster than a run-a-ball rate.

Wicketkeeper Simon Davies then chipped in with 71 before Solanki decided to declare, leaving Derbyshire with a tricky spell before the close of play.

Openers Chris Rogers and Paul Borrington managed to survive 11 overs unscathed and the visitors will resume on the second morning on 27-0.