A superb 90 from Worcestershire Captain Brett D’Oliveira put his side in pole position of the Rothesay County Championship clash against Kent, as the hosts ended the second day 441-9, leading by 245 runs.
Adam Hose (75) produced a sublime individual knock of his own, adding 141 for the third wicket in combination with his skipper, as the Pears dominated proceedings from the outset.
Despite falling 10 runs short of a well-deserved century, D’Oliveira set the platform for the lower order batters to extend the home side’s lead, as Worcestershire showed a ruthless edge to make Kent toil for 96 overs in the heat.
A fine half-century from Matthew Waite alongside contributions from Gareth Roderick (40) and Tom Taylor (37) saw the Pears take full control of the match, set to resume day three at New Road in the box seat.
Resuming on a resplendent second morning at New Road, Kashif Ali drew the first warm applause of the day as he dispatched the very first ball of the morning to the midwicket boundary, with Worcestershire’s number three signalling his intentions early on in the piece.
The serene nature of the morning was abruptly ended just six balls later, however, as day one half-century maker Jake Libby was beaten by a ball that beat his defences, forcing him to depart without adding to his overnight score.
Half an hour into the morning session and Kent were the ones with their tails up, as Kashif (20) became the second victim of the day when the right-hander miscued a drive to an away swinging delivery that found its way to Matt Milnes at backward point.
Skipper Brett D’Oliveira partnered fellow new batter Adam Hose in the middle, with Worcestershire’s senior pair looking to re-affirm the home side’s foothold in the match in some idyllic conditions.
Whilst Hose exhibited an array of sumptuous drives down the ground, D’Oliveira latched onto to loose deliveries, finding the fence through both point and midwicket with ease.
As the morning session progressed, the pair continued to assert their dominance on proceedings, Hose in particular striking the ball with disdain, with Kent struggling to manufacture opportunities.
When one did arise, however, the visitors were unable to capitalise, as Adam Hose was given a lifeline when a mistimed drive flew between wicket-keeper Chris Benjamin and Zak Crawley, who was left rooted to the spot at first slip.
Easing to their fifty partnership in the 45th over of the Pears innings, lunch arrived with the visitors toiling in the sun and Alan Richardsons side trailed by just seven runs, with Hose (47*) and D’Oliveira (38*) primed to cash in on a superb start.
It was Hose who notched his second Rothesay County Championship fifty of the summer shortly after the break, reaching the milestone in 88 balls, as the man making his first appearance at New Road in nine months began to free the shackles.
After Hose deposited the wicketless Parkinson back over his head for six, Worcestershire’s Captain stepped through the gears, raising his bat to acknowledge a classy half-century of his own, that had seen the talisman find the boundary on six occasions.
With the third wicket partnership edging towards the 150-run mark, Hose’s first misjudgement of the day was punished.
Looking to play another powerful drive down the ground, the man in form was beaten by a ball that nipped back between his bat and pad, crashing into his stumps and ending a fine knock of 75 that had not only driven Worcestershire into the ascendancy, but served as a timely reminder of Hose’s influence within the Pears’ ranks.
Departing with his side 245-4 and a lead creeping towards 100, Hose was replaced by Gareth Roderick, looking to play a supporting act for his skipper, who continued to play with perfect control.
The skipper moved his way through the eighties on a day where Lady Luck seemed to be very much on his side, and when an edge flew past the slip cordon and a cut to point was put down, a first hundred of the season felt somewhat inevitable.
On the cusp of Tea, however, the Captain feathered an edge through to Muyeye at second slip whilst looking to defend a full ball that flirted with off stump, signalling the end of D’Oliveira’s imperious innings for 90, ten runs short of a 14th first-class ton.
Ethan Brookes looked to up the tempo for his team, helping the Pears pass 300 as he made a quickfire 25, displaying a wonderful array of attacking shots in tandem with Gareth Roderick, but the all-rounder saw his cameo ended two balls before the tea break.
Roderick batted on after the resumption, rotating the strike with ease, and the middle-order batter saw his team up to 350, before he was bowled by Evison for 40, swiftly followed by Beyers Swanepoel, who suffered the same fate after adding six.
With the home team extending their lead beyond 170, Tom Taylor joined Matthew Waite as the day entered a sedate period, on a pitch where Kent’s attack struggled to manufacture wicket-taking opportunities.
It was Taylor who nudged a length ball off his hips in the 106th over of the day to register Worcestershire’s 400, before Waite struck three boundaries in succession in the same over to drive home the Pears’ advantage.
Taylor’s cameo of 37 ended when he was bowled late in the piece, but there was still time for Waite to register a second Division Two fifty of the season, before the sides left the field at stumps with commanding lead.
