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Match drawn despite a day with three centuries

27 April 2016

A victory target of 352 in 63 overs wasn't enough to tempt Worcestershire after centuries by Chris Dent and Jack Taylor set up Gloucestershire's declaration on the final day at the Brightside Ground.

Taylor, who started the day on eight not out, went on to complete a 96 ball hundred while Dent's strong start to the season continued with an unbeaten 138, the pair adding 162 in 35 overs before skipper Gareth Roderick called a halt three overs after lunch.

Three early Worcestershire wickets put them on the back foot, but an accomplished unbeaten hundred from Moeen Ali , who finished 136 not out, ensured they secured the draw at 210-4 with less than 10 overs remaining.

Listen to head coach Richard Dawson's close of play thoughts here :

The day began with Gloucestershire 186 runs ahead and with only 10 overs to go until Worcestershire could take a second new ball. The seventh wicket pair of Dent and Taylor had added 25 runs when it was taken, and Dent breezed towards his second century of the season with a punch off the back foot past point and a text book cover drive, both off Barnard, bringing up his hundred from 225 balls with 13 boundaries.

Taylor had played circumspectly for the first 40 minutes but steadily the run rate picked up as the all rounder began to dominate the strike. His share of the fifty partnership was 31, and although there were only half a dozen boundaries, Taylor took only 69 balls to bring up his own half century with the prospect of more fireworks to follow.

Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell had seen Dent and Taylor add 84 in the session before he turned to the off spin of Moeen Ali, and that was the signal for Gloucestershire to chase quick runs for a declaration.

Helped by 17 in an over from the England man, Taylor reached the last over before lunch 94 not out, and completed the third century of his career in first class cricket in the grand manner, hoisting D'Oliveira into the pavilion for six.

He'd scored his second fifty runs in only 27 balls, and in all hit 13 fours and two sixes when he was well caught by Kohler-Cadmore off Barnard in the mini session after lunch. Dent's unbeaten 138 meant he would finish April with exactly 500 runs for the season against his name.

Gareth Roderick's declaration asked Worcestershire to score 352 to win, a figure that may have been pushed upwards after seeing how the pitch played during the morning session, and it was clear that Gloucestershire would need early wickets if 63 overs was to be enough to bowl the visitors out.

Payne and Norwell shared the new ball, the latter twice seeing the batsman's off stump pegged back as he first removed D'Oliveira and then Worcestershire skipper Mitchell, who shouldered arms but misjudged the line of Norwell's delivery.

When Josh Shaw, from the same Ashley Down Road end, removed first innings centurion Joe Clarke for eight with a ball that hit middle stump with some force Worcestershire were 49-3 and with a lot seemingly depending on Moeen Ali.

By tea, and playing with some comfort, especially through the off side, he'd reached 50 not out from a Worcestershire total of 83-3 with one moment of fortune, pulling a hook shot off Norwell just out of the reach of Hamish Marshall at deep backward square leg.

Worcestershire still had 39 overs available to score the 269 runs they needed at the start of the final session, although such a long chase with no fielding restrictions always looked a tall order given their shaky start, and it seemed only Moeen Ali's extra class prevented the game petering out.

He did survive a hard caught and bowled chance to Josh Shaw but otherwise played fluently, particularly on the off side. Kohler-Cadmore kept him company for just over an hour before he skied a ball from Norwell to Josh Shaw at mid off for 25, and although Ross Whiteley has a reputation as an aggressive one day player, that side of his game was kept under wraps as he quietly accumulated 21 with only one boundary.

Moeen completed the third century of the day from 106 balls with 15 fours and two sixes, and although he fleetingly attacked Jack Taylor at the start of the final hour, the match was declared a draw with just under 10 overs remaining and Worcestershire 142 runs short of their target.

Gloucestershire take 12 points from the match, and Worcestershire 13 points having gained an extra batting point.

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