Kohler-Cadmore 99 but no ice cream

Teenage prospect Tom Kohler-Cadmore agonisingly missed a maiden first-class century at New Road as Division Two leaders Worcestershire moved closer to a second Championship win over Leicestershire in a month.

The talented 19-year-old was bowled by Dan Redfern for 99 after helping his side to a declaration at 416 for 8, which set the bottom-of-the-table visitors a daunting target of 458.

Greg Smith opened up with eight fours in an unbeaten 38 but a 27th championship game without a victory is the most likely outcome, with Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley already out to the seamers as they reached 56 for 2 in 21 overs by the close. They will require a further 402 runs on the last day.

Kohler-Cadmore shared in century stands with Alexei Kervezee (75) and big-hitting Joe Leach (74) as Worcestershire escaped from a potentially vulnerable situation when overnight batsman Richard Oliver played on to Nathan Buck for 37 from the fifth ball of the day.

At 50 for 3 - all the wickets having fallen to the impressive Buck at a personal cost of 23 - the promotion contenders were only 91 ahead and a batsman short after preferring a bowler as deputy for England all-rounder Moeen Ali.

Another wicket could have fallen when Kervezee, on 23, edged Rob Taylor between wicketkeeper and first slip, with his side only 124 in front, which could have opened the door to Leicestershire. Instead the game was wrenched away from them as they conceded 300 runs in two sessions.

Kervezee initially led the counter-attack, seeing off the threat of Buck with three boundaries from four balls, and Kohler-Cadmore quickly imposed himself with his third half-century in five innings, a sequence which began at Grace Road last month.

With a 20th birthday coming up in August, he is quickly maturing in his first season in full-time cricket. Brought up through Yorkshire's age group teams when his family moved to the north from Kent, he found his way to Worcestershire after becoming the first player to go to Malvern College on a cricket scholarship.

Introduced to championship cricket in April, he struggled at first but re-emerged after a century in a non-first-class match against Cambridge University, an innings which secured a first-team recall when Moeen Ali was selected by England.

His front-foot driving has the hallmark of public school coaching and his composure saw Worcestershire through a tricky spell against Charlie Shreck after lunch. Kervezee mishit to mid-off after a stand of 131 and Ben Cox was lbw to one that kept a shade low.

Yet once more Leicestershire were pushed back as Leach raced to a 43-ball half-century and put on exactly 100 for the sixth wicket until Kohler-Cadmore was denied a career milestone after going to 99 with successive sixes off Redfern. James Sykes then dismissed Leach and Shaaiq Choudhry (25) in successive overs

But there was more flak to come as Saeed Ajmal thrashed an unbeaten 53 - his fourth career half-century taking 42 balls - in an unbroken partnership of 80 with Jack Shantry (30 not out).