WARWICKSHIRE were left with a formidable target to chase if they are to beat neighbours Worcestershire at Edgbaston.
Ethan Brookes starred yet again for the Pears – and wrote himself into the record books as a result.
Of Worcestershire’s second innings total of 243, Brookes’ share was 87 from 137 balls.
He struck seven sixes which, added to his eight in the first innings, amounted to 15 in the match – a record for any individual at Edgbaston, beating the 12 by Ian Botham for Somerset in 1985 and Dean Jones for Australia in 1989.
The ex-Warwickshire all-rounder’s salvo left his former team needing 393 to win – and they closed the third day on 55 for two after losing both openers in the first four overs.
Bears bowler Corey Rocchiccioli recognised it has been a good contest between the West Midlands rivals.
He told the Bears’ X account: “At some stages, we had some stalemate happening and it was a question of which side was going to blink first. In my opinion that’s really good first class cricket.
“Both teams are taking in the situation around them and deciding how to approach it.”
But Worcestershire’s Gareth Roderick says his side sense a first Championship victory at Edgbaston in 32 years after controlling most of the match so far.
He told the Pears’ official YouTube channel: “We keep saying, just eight good balls.
“We started really well with the ball there, hopefully today, we can make hay and get some inroads.”
Worcestershire resumed on the third morning on 31 without loss, already 180 ahead, but were pegged back by disciplined bowling.
The opening partnership reached 80 in 32 overs before three wickets fell for 12 runs in 51 balls.
Roderick (50) edged an expansive drive at Beau Webster. Jake Libby’s 149 minutes of toil for 25 ended when he pulled Ed Barnard to mid-wicket. Kashif Ali collected a tortuous 29-ball duck when he pulled Corey Rocchiccioli to short fine leg.
As Warwickshire went on the defensive, Rocchiccioli bowling on or outside leg-stump, Worcestershire’s batters appeared unsure how to handle such a big advantage.
That advantage began to diminish as Ethan Bamber bowled Adam Hose and had Tom Taylor caught at point and Rocchiccioli’s leg-stump probing was rewarded when Brett D’Oliviera tickled a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Kai Smith and Ben Allison nudged to leg slip.
Seven wickets fell for 52 runs in 22 overs but Brookes defended diligently as he awaited support.
It arrived from Bertie Foreman, who got the scoreboard moving again before edging Webster to second slip, and then Adam Finch.
Having added 88 in the first innings, this time Brookes and Finch put on 91.
The cricket descended into farce after tea as Warwickshire went ultra-negative.
Rocchiccioli wheeled away while Olly Hannon-Dalby bowled far outside off stump to deny Brookes scope to seek the short boundary.
The grim spectacle concluded when Brookes hoisted Barnard to deep fine leg and Finch sliced Webster to second slip.
Warwickshire faced a target of 393 in a day plus 26 overs, weather permitting, and in moderate light, soon lost their openers.
Rob Yates was trapped in front by a rapid shooter from Khurram Shahzad. Alex Davies chipped to mid-wicket.
Dan Mousley and Zen Malik batted carefully to the close, but Worcestershire would be disappointed not to bank their first Championship win at Edgbaston since 1993 on Friday.
• Additonal reporting supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay
