Worcestershire suffered a sobering defeat by an innings and 177 runs at the County Ground against Northamptonshire, with a lower-order batting collapse proving fatal late on day three.
With Worcestershire having toiled for 152 overs in the field, the home side declared on 597-7 midway through the third afternoon, with Tom Taylor (3-97) returning the best figures for the away side.
On the back foot from the outset, a Ben Sanderson seven-fer inspired Northamptonshire who ripped through the Worcestershire middle and lower order as the Pears crumbled from 88-2 to 114 all out.
Well beaten with a day to spare, the Pears must dust themselves down and prepare for the visit of Durham to New Road in their next Rothesay County Championship assignment this Friday.
It was Adam Finch who continued his short-ball ploy early in the day, with Worcestershire’s aggressor looking to ruffle the feathers of the hosts’ two set batters with some fierce bouncers at both James Sales and George Bartlett.
Just 25 minutes had passed on the third morning at a cloudy County Ground, when Tom Taylor made the crucial first breakthrough of the morning for the Pears.
Returning to his former hunting ground, Taylor was rewarded for yet more consistent pressure as he castled George Bartlett for 50, ending the home side’s pursuit of a batting bonus point with an angled back delivery that sent off stump flying.
At 392-6, shortly after a well-directed short ball from Finch created half a chance for Ethan Brookes at short-leg, the ball was thrown to Oliver Hannon-Dalby.
Arguably the hardest done by of all the Worcestershire seam attack so far in the match, the Warwickshire loanee showed excellent control as he beat the bat on numerous occasions without any reward.
The turgid nature of the match continued into the second hour of the morning session, which saw Beyers Swanepoel and Ethan Brookes introduced into the attack, but the Pears were unable to force another breakthrough before the interval as the sides left the field with the score 458-6, as Northants led by 152 at Lunch.
Upon the resumption, it was the home side who enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, with James Sales and Luke McManus extending their seventh wicket partnership beyond 150 as the docile surface at the County Ground made wicket-taking opportunities something of a premium.
It was, however, Brett D’Oliveira who ended the stand which had passed 150, when the Worcestershire skipper trapped McManus LBW for a well-made 104, as the wicket-keeper batter miscalculated a sweep shot and departed with his side 584-7.
Worcestershire’s resilient efforts in the field for in excess of 150 overs were brought to a close when Northamptonshire’s hierarchy made the decision to declare on 597-7, with the Pears leaving the field 291 runs behind their opponents, in no small part due to James Sale’s impressive 146 not-out.
After Gareth Roderick provided his side with a perfect exhibition of how to manage the conditions in his superb rearguard on the opening day, it was the turn of openers Jake Libby and Dan Lategan to emulate his knock and begin the Worcestershire response.
Libby started in a positive fashion, guiding a ball through backward point for four, but the vice-captain saw his time in the middle abruptly ended the next ball when Ben Sanderson beat his defences and clipped his off stump, having made five.
First innings hero Roderick joined Lategan, with the left-handed opener taking a cautious approach in the early stages, defending staunchly.
It was Roderick who started with intent, caressing an overpitched Conway ball down the ground in style midway through the sixth over as the pair navigated their way through to Tea shortly after 4pm at 33-1.
Lategan’s measured approach saw him face 56 balls for his 17, but three overs into the evening session the left-hander was heading back to the Pavilion as he feathered an edge behind from the returning Conway, with the Pears looking for some stability at 38-2.
The experienced Adam Hose arrived at the crease with Northants in a commanding position, but the number four set his stall out early, taking the attack to Conway with two exquisite back foot punches in as many balls, piercing the off side ring field in the 21st over as the Pears passed fifty.
The in-form Roderick continued to play with patience, whilst Hose asserted himself at the other end, finding the boundary three more times as the pair celebrated a vital fifty partnership in the 31st over of the innings.
No sooner had the visitors looked to have established a foothold in proceedings than a magical spell from Ben Sanderson ripped through the visitors’ middle order, as the Pears lost eight wickets for just 26 runs.
The first sucker punch saw Hose bowled by a pinpoint Sanderson ball that clipped off stump, forcing him to depart for a promising 33.
With 15 overs remaining in the day, 88-3 soon read 89-4 as Worcestershire wobbled when Brett D’Oliveira edged a ball from Procter to George Bartlett at third slip, with the home side in the box seat.
Sanderson’s sublime spell saw him claim the scalps of Ethan Brookes and Matthew Waite in the space of three deliveries and leave Worcestershire rocked, before the seamer secured his fifer when he pinned Roderick LBW for a resolute 33.
With their backs against the wall and Alan Richardson’s side still 193 runs adrift late on day three, Sanderson registered a sixth wicket of the innings when he dialled in on Tom Taylor’s off stump as the visitors’ chances of salvaging anything from the contest slid away.
Sanderson (7-31) had time to record career-best figures when he dismissed Beyers Swanepeol (8), before James Sales sunk the Pears by claiming the final scalp of Oliver Hannon-Dalby, ending a forgettable final day’s play for the visitors and confirming a heavy first defeat of the season.
