Third day: Worcestershire lead Gloucestershire by 223 runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand
Kabir Ali's hopes of being selected in the England oneday squad to be announced on Wednesday to face Sri Lanka increased when he took five wickets to put Worcestershire in control of the Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at Bristol yesterday.
On a pitch which has been a batsman's paradise, the right-arm seamer returned an impressive five for 78 from 23.3 overs on the third day as Gloucestershire were all out for 471 to concede a first-innings deficit of 116.
Ali's victims included the key wicket of Craig Spearman, who had taken his overnight 160 to 192 before he was caught in the slips by Graeme Hick.
Gloucestershire were in danger of being made to follow on until Ian Harvey, who did not bat until number eight because of a hamstring strain, continued his outstanding form this season by scoring an unbeaten 50 from 62 deliveries.
Worcestershire reached 107 for three in their second innings for a lead of 223 but 32 overs were lost because of rain after tea.
Gloucestershire resumed on 290 for two and Worcester-shire, inspired by the wholehearted Ali from the pavilion end, did well to take the eight remaining wickets for 181 runs.
Ali, who had dismissed Philip Weston on Saturday, took two quick wickets as Chris Taylor and Alex Gidman were caught behind by Steven Davies.
Spearman greeted the introduction of Roger Sillence at the Jessop Stand end by taking four boundaries, all cut behind square, off the first over bowled by the former Gloucestershire paceman.
But Spearman's hopes of reaching a double hundred were dashed when off-spinner Gareth Batty had him taken at slip by Hick, who held a fine one-handed catch to his right.
When Batty had Steve Adshead caught behind four overs later, Gloucestershire were 378 for six and still 50 short of avoiding the follow-on. But Harvey, batting with Taylor as his runner, responded in typically positive style.
He took 14 off an over by Ali, with a four cut to third man, a six hooked to long leg and a four pulled to midwicket, and progressed to a 58-ball half-century.
Mark Hardinges contributed 35 before he fell lbw to Sillence in the first over after lunch. Six overs later Sillence had Martyn Ball caught in the slips by Hick for 12.
Kabir wrapped up the innings by having Carl Greenidge caught by Sillence at long leg and Steve Kirby taken at first slip.
Worcestershire were reduced to 33 for two in the ninth over of their second innings after Greenidge had Phil Jaques caught at gully and Stephen Moore edged Kirby to first slip.
It became 76 for three when Vikram Solanki, after a first-innings career-best 222, cut Greenidge to Weston on the third man boundary.
Smith and Hick added 31 more runs by tea but the rain foiled Worcestershire's hopes of taking a lead of at least 300 into the last day.
On Saturday centuries by New Zealanders Spearman and Hamish Marshall led Gloucestershire to 290 for two in reply to 587 for eight declared.
Spearman ended a run of low scores to make 160 not out, with 19 fours, while Marshall struck 12 boundaries as he scored 102 on his Championship debut. The pair put on 253 for the second wicket, falling three runs short of the county's record second wicket stand of 256, set by Tom Pugh and Tom Graveney against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1960.
Solanki had earlier taken his overnight 201 to 222 while Davies followed his captain in registering a career-best score as he went from 129 to 192.
Spearman and Marshall found batting just as easy after the early dismissal of Weston.
There was barely a false shot between them as they treated the sun-baked crowd to some quality stroke play.
Spearman, who had totalled only 81 runs in six innings since his 109 in the Championship opener against Somerset, brought up his century in the 53rd over with a single to mid-on off Batty.
Marshall reached three figures 16 overs later when he cut Ali behind square, where many of his fours had been despatched.
The only disappointment for the pair was that they fell three runs short of Gloucestershire's' record second wicket stand of 256, set by Tom Pugh and Tom Graveney against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1960.
The partnership was finally broken in the 71st over when Marshall attempted to pull a delivery from Zaheer Khan and was caught behind by Davies.
Even allowing for the batsman-friendly conditions, it was an impressive innings by Marshall whose Gloucestershire career started with one run in two one-day innings.
Worcestershire had resumed on 459 for four and with Solanki and Davies looking to extend their partnership by a further 108 runs to beat the county's fifth-wicket record stand of 393, set by Ted Arnold and William Burns against Warwickshire in 1909.
The pair batted through the opening 45 minutes with no alarms. But with the stand extended to 345 Solanki attempted to hook Mark Hardings and got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Steve Ads-head. His 295-ball innings had contained 28 fours and two sixes.
Davies had already surpassed his career-best score of 148, made against Somerset last year, by the time of Solanki's dismissal and he also looked set for a double hundred until he gave a high return catch to off-spinner Ball. He faced 254 deliveries and most of his 30 fours were played in front of the wicket and through the offside.
Sillence struck 32 from 38 balls before being caught on the cover boundary off Alex Gidman, and the declaration came after Ali had holed out to Weston at long-on.
