LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, New Road:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Gloucestershire 245, Worcestershire 229-6
(Worcestershire 4 pts, Gloucestershire 3 pts)
Match scorecard

Half-centuries from Alexei Kervezee and Moeen Ali helped Worcestershire stay in touch after Chris Taylor's valuable 71 for Gloucestershire at New Road.

Taylor helped his side reach 245 before Moeen (70no) and Kervezee (57) helped the hosts respond with 229-6.

Hard-hitting Kervezee hit two sixes and eight fours off 58 balls, before falling leg before wicket to Jon Lewis.

But Moeen was undefeated at the close, as Worcestershire moved to within 16 runs of their local rivals' total.

After a rain-ruined opening day, Gloucestershire resumed on 78-3 overs and soon began losing wickets, the first two falling to Matt Mason on his first appearance of the season following a back injury.

But Taylor, back in action after missing his side's 134-run win over Derbyshire last week due to illness, helped stop the rot.

Worcestershire's five bowlers all finished with two wickets apiece before Vikram Solanki's men got their innings off to a sound start, Phil Jaques and Daryl Mitchell putting on 53 in 12 overs.

Mitchell was then caught at short leg for 29 off Anthony Ireland, who also accounted for Jaques (38).

Solanki survived a dropped slip catch before getting off the mark and gave another chance to keeper Jonathan Batty on two before finally perishing in the gully for 27.

But the skipper's dismissal allowed Kervezee and Moeen to take centre stage in a partnership of 107 in 19 overs for the fourth wicket.

That was followed by the quickfire departures of Ben Smith and Richard Jones as three wickets went before the close..

Worcestershire vice-captain Daryl Mitchell told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"Hopefully we will be looking to get a big partnership to start with Ben Scott and Moeen Ali.

"I thought Mo played fantastically well tonight.

"Hopefully we can kick on in the morning and, while it was disappointing to lose a couple of wickets at the end, that is the nature of the pitch.

"If you get one wicket it is quite easy to then go bang, bang, bang.

"So we're looking forward to the morning and hopefully the lads can push on and set up a big first-innings score."

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