A grandstand finish from Worcestershire’s tailenders saw the Pears save an astonishing draw in the final session of the fourth day against Warwickshire, after a gripping contest at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.
The visitors did well to stay in touch throughout the contest, with Worcestershire bowled out for 276 in response to the home side’s mammoth first innings total of 468.
After Warwickshire then declared possessing a lead in excess of 500, the visitors slipped to 265-7 in their reply, with hopes of an outlandish run-chase seemingly over.
However, a stunning eighth wicket partnership between Jack Home (88*) and Fateh Singh (81) saw the Pears to 397-8, within 143 runs of the required total, before Harry Darley and Jeet Varaich defended remarkably to survive the final eight overs and cling on for a draw.
Having won the toss and electing to bowl first, he impressive Harry Darley once again struck early with the new ball to peg the hosts back in the fourth over, before Warwickshire enjoyed their first dominant spell of the match.
Young seamer Jeet Varaich enjoyed a successful return as the left-arm seamer picked up three wickets, all at key times to help break established Warwickshire partnerships, including the prize wicket of first-innings top-scorer Zen Malik, for 107.
Warwickshire passed 230, before Fateh Singh entered the fray and enjoyed his most frugal period of the match, recording impressive figures of 4-101 from his 26.5 overs.
Taz Ali helped himself to a ton of his own before falling victim to Singh, shortly after Ben Gibbon and Toby Cox had taken a wicket apiece as Warwickshire were dismissed for 468.
Skipper Rehaan Edavalath showed more signs of his promising early season form with a patient 60-ball-20, but his wicket coincided with partner Toby Cox (5), as Rob Jones and Henry Cullen came together with the Pears 60-2.
In a 92-run third wicket stand, Cullen stroked a quick fire 52 from just 43 balls, in a cameo that included four-fours and four-sixes, while Jones held firm at the other end for his team.
152-3 soon became 173-6, as Seth Essenhigh, Fin Jones and Alfie Higgins all departed for single-figure scores, with the onus very much on the in and set Rob Jones to keep Worcestershire in the contest.
He went on to make a vital 86, before his defence was broken by Taz Ali, 14 short of a well-deserved hundred.
Had it not been for Ben Gibbon’s superb counter offensive from number eight, the Pears could have found themselves in serious peril.
As it was, the lower-order batter, known for his batting pedigree, saved his side’s blushes with a crucial 70, ending the innings not out as Worcestershire were dismissed for 276.
It was Darley who struck twice in quick succession in Warwickshire’s second innings, with Jack Home getting in on the action to remove Jani, as Worcestershire pegged their opponents back at 56-3.
A 130-run partnership between Keith Barker and Hamza Shaikh halted the Pears progress, before Fateh Singh backed up his impressive first innings performance with another four-wicket haul that helped Worcestershire work through a resistant Warwickshire tail.
First taking the key wicket of Shaikh for 80, Singh bowled both Gekis (36) and Ali (13) before wrapping up the innings with the caught and bowled dismissal of Trodd, to leave Worcestershire a seismic run-chase on their hands.
The chase got off to a tremendous start, with opening pair Edavalath and Cox adding 81 for the first wicket, before teenager Cox was bowled for an impressive 42 after scoring eight-fours and one-six.
Rob Jones added 15 before retiring, while Cullen (26 off 38) looked good before he and Edavalath (57) were both removed in the space of four balls to leave Worcestershire well-adrift at 147-3.
With two more wickets falling, Worcestershire’s Alfie Higgins grabbed the initiative, showing excellent composure for his 46 from 108 balls, keeping any faint hopes of Worcestershire saving a miraculous draw from the game very much alive.
The wicket of Higgins came shortly after the loss of Essenhigh (4), Fin Jones (22) and Joe Porter (1), leaving Worcestershire 265-7 late in the afternoon session of the final day, with their only hopes of salvaging anything from the match resting on the lower-order batting out for a draw.
Jack Home and Fateh Singh had other ideas however, launching an assault on the Warwickshire attack, with a stunning counter-offensive throwing the Pears a dramatic 11th hour lifeline.
Home (88 from 120) and Singh (81 from 59) added 132 from just 103 balls, as the match looked set to go down to the wire with a record run-chase very much still alive.
After a brief delay of rain meaning the players returned to the field with just an hour left in the day, and with Singh’s brutal cameo now over having been caught and bowled, the loss of Jack Home looked to have spelled the end for any hopes of a Worcestershire draw.
In a grandstand finale, it was Harry Darley and young Jeet Varaich who batted through the remaining eight overs of the day, facing a combined 55 balls for just four runs to save their team from defeat.
Defying the odds, with Warwickshire fielders packed around the bat, the tailenders saw the Pears through to the close and finish 412-9, clinching a memorable draw at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.
