Asking Worcestershire’s batsmen for a repeat performance of their record-breaking antics from Thursday would have been unfair, but in recording the highest-ever total at Cheltenham they could be justifiably pleased with their work from the first two sessions the following day.
They will be just as happy with their efforts after tea when they picked up four Gloucestershire wickets to leave them on the brink of wrapping up their third successive Division Two win.
Worcestershire have played near-faultless cricket for three days.
Steven Davies, the most prominent architect yesterday in helping the Pears to 672 for seven declared, will rue the fact that he didn’t score quicker – or perhaps even slower – seeing as captain Vikram Solanki declared at tea when he was 99 not out.
Not much more could have been asked of Davies, his run-a-ball innings which included 13 fours and a six was of the highest order – Solanki quality, no less – but in falling so agonisingly short of the first-class century which has eluded him all season he became only the fifth person in Worcestershire’s history to finish an innings on such a score.
A case of callous captaincy, some cynics might argue.
“Not at all,” Solanki joked.
“We made up our minds to declare at tea quite a bit before Steve got near to a hundred and we got a message out to him telling him that, so we gave him every chance to have a dip.
“Perhaps in another game we would have come off before tea but we were all willing him on to get the runs he needed and, in the end, he did very well to get close.”
Davies batted sublimely.
Gloucestershire’s attack were not as insipid as they had been on day two but even that did not stop the visitors from smashing 347 runs in two sessions.
Solanki and Stephen Moore’s record-breaking second-wicket stand of 316 came to an abrupt end when the latter drove to Hamish Marshall at cover on 129 (199 balls, 17 fours, one six) having added only nine to his overnight score.
Solanki carried on, however, adding a quick 91 to reach 270 (253 balls, 48 fours) before lazily pulling Marcus North to square leg for what was a very soft dismissal.
Signs of fatigue and the occasional lapse in concentration were evident in the captain’s batting, perhaps unsurprisingly having recorded his highest first-class score and the third-highest on this venue since county cricket was first played here in 1872.
A certain W.G. Grace, incidentally, heads that list with a 318 against Yorkshire in 1876.
Solanki added: “I was out to a nothing shot in the end.
“I was trying to force the issue a bit and I was disappointed with the manner in which I got out.
“If I had got out striking the ball or caught on the boundary it might have been a bit better, especially as you don’t get too many opportunities to score three hundred.
“That wasn’t on my mind when I was out there but it was when I was back in the pavilion.
“On a personal note it would have been great but more importantly we have played another good day of cricket.
“It is probably more pleasing picking up the four wickets at the end because batting is still the easier discipline on this pitch.
“All the guys have bowled well and we need to create six chances tomorrow. It won’t be easy but we have to go in confident because we have been playing good cricket for a while.”
It is testament to the great quality in Worcestershire’s bowling attack that they have profited amid the most pleasing batting conditions.
Steve Kirby did his best Andrew Flintoff-impression to try and keep Gloucestershire in the game with figures of four for 136 from 30 overs, which was not a bad return given the lack of support he endured throughout his 30 Herculean overs.
Gareth Batty’s cameo 66 (75 balls, four fours, two sixes), as part of a 140 partnership with Davies, was integral to Worcestershire maintaining the robust run rate they needed in order to put the hosts in for the final session.
Although their first innings lead of 389 was cut to 261 at the close, for a brief period it seemed like one session would be enough after Matt Mason bowled Stephen Snell in his first over and Kabir Ali, ruthless in the first innings, dismissed the dangerous Hamish Marshall in the next - the third - for the second time in the match and for relatively no trouble. He was caught at second slip by Graeme Hick, the veteran’s 1,001st career catch.
But then came some Gloucestershire backbone.
Kadeer Ali made 31 before being caught behind off Simon Jones, overshadowed in this match by Kabir, and Australian batsman North, as in the first innings, knuckled down to score for a 54-ball half-century and finished unbeaten on 70 (76 balls, ten fours, two sixes).
David Brown, whose 83 in the first innings was his career best, is with him after Alex Gidman was caught at short mid-wicket by Stephen Moore off the bowling of Matt Mason, who finished with two for 24.