Worcestershire continue New Road strength

Worcestershire wrapped up their third County Championship win of the season by eight wickets despite lower order resistance by Glamorgan in the Division Two clash at New Road.

Glamorgan's last three wickets eventually added 149 as Jim Allenby made his second half-century of the match before they were dismissed for 278.

Worcestershire were kept in the field for an hour-and-quarter on the last morning and a new threat emerged when rain interrupted their charge after they had made 20 towards a modest target of 51.

Fortunately for them the clouds broke up while lunch was taken early and on the resumption they took no chances with the weather by completing the task in the 10th over.

Captain Daryl Mitchell hit four fours in his 22 before he was caught at second slip, chasing a ball from Mike Reed, and Matt Pardoe tamely drove Marcus North's first delivery to mid-on. The winning boundary then took Moeen Ali to 908 runs for the season, the highest total in the country.

Worcestershire are unbeaten in four matches at New Road and this result, reversing a 10-wicket defeat at Cardiff in April, brings them into the promotion picture as the main rivals to the top two, Northamptonshire and Lancashire.

For Glamorgan the season has been more of a struggle and this performance is one they will want to forget. Allenby was already on 52 when they resumed on 200 for 8, needing a further 28 to avoid an innings defeat, and the all-rounder continued to make Worcestershire pay for a dropped chance when he had made only one.

Having top scored with 82 before Glamorgan followed on 228 behind, he was unbeaten with 74 in the second innings, although he faced only 21 of 108 balls bowled while 78 were added to the overnight total.

His partnership with Will Owen yielded 82 in all before Michael Hogan thrashed 46 out of 57 for the ninth wicket. The Australian's uncomplicated method, planting the front foot and driving through the ball, brought nine boundaries, with five of these coming in a couple of overs from young paceman Chris Russell.

Alan Richardson claimed the first wicket of the day by bowling Owen for his 41st success of the season, and Hogan's gallop was halted when he swung at and missed a straight ball from medium-pacer Joe Leach.

Last man Reed made only four but he hung around for 37 balls before playing forward to Russell and edging to wicketkeeper Ben Cox as Glamorgan could only set a modest target, which Worcestershire then easily surpassed.