Tour match, Worcester, day one (close): Zimbabwe 69-3 v Worcestershire 262

Hondo may have clinched a place in the Test team

The hosts picked up three Zimbabwe wickets before the close of play on the first day after seamer Doug Hondo sparked a Worcestershire batting collapse at New Road.

Dion Ebrahim was run out off the first ball after an embarrassing mix-up with fellow opener Mark Vermeulen before Kabir Ali snapped up Vermeulen's wicket within five overs.

Grant Flower also departed, caught by Stephen Peters off the bowling of Matt Mason, but Stuart Carlisle reached 27 before the end of play.

The county side, who reached lunch on 155-2, lost momentum following the dismissal of Vikram Solanki for an aggressive 74.

Seam bowler Hondo removed Kadeer Ali, Ben Smith and Gareth Batty in quick succession to finish with 3-53.

He was well supported by Andy Blignaut, Flower and Ray Price, who all claimed two wickets each, and there were five victims for wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu..

Blignaut provided the initial breakthrough by dismissing openers Anurag Singh (14) and Peters (18) with the new ball.

But with Heath Streak only able to bowl two overs because of a sore back, Worcestershire responded with a stand of 129 between Solanki and Smith.

Solanki hit a six and 14 fours in his 79-ball innings, four of his boundaries coming in the same over from Travis Friend, whose six overs before lunch cost 54.

But his innings came to an end following the resumption when he was stumped by Taibu from the bowling of left-arm spinner Price.

Hondo also had reason to thank the wicket-keeper as he accepted catches from Kadeer (10) and Smith (53).

He then bowled Batty first ball for nought but South African all-rounder Andrew Hall (34) and Jamie Pipe held up the tourists with a stand of 34 before both fell to Flower.

Last man Mark Harrity clubbed a six and two fours in making 16 off eight deliveries before he edged Price to give Taibu his fourth catch of the innings on the stroke of tea.

Worcestershire: S D Peters, A Singh, V S Solanki, B F Smith (Capt), Kadeer Ali, A J Hall, G J Batty, D J Pipe (Wkt), Kabir Ali, M S Mason, M A Harrity.

Zimbabwe: M A Vermeulen, D D Ebrahim, S V Carlisle, G W Flower, B G Rogers, T Taibu (Wkt), A M Blignaut, H H Streak (Capt), T J Friend, D T Hondo, R W Price.