Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes believes salvaging a draw on the final day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Derbyshire at the 3aaa County Ground is a realistic possibility.
The County will resume in their second innings on 303 – 279 runs in arrears after being bowled out for 164 and asked to follow on.
It was a rae off day for the Worcestershire batsmen who had gone into this game with the highest number of bonus batting points – 27 – in Division Two.
Rhodes told BBC Hereford-Worcester's Dave Bradley: "Today we possibly had one of those days where we didn't apply ourselves as well as Billy Godleman, Neil Broom and Wayne Madsen did in the Derbyshire innings.
"Consequently if that happens you lose your wickets but I don't want to be too critical because they've played really well this year and scored plenty of runs and everyone is entitled to a bad day.
"They were nice and fresh and had a new ball in their hand and a big score under their belts so you tend to run in with a real zest.
"When you have fielded for that length of time while you are probably not physically feeling tired, you are mentally not as sharp as you could be and I call that batting tired.
"I think there were a few shots in there that I think the lads would admit they mentally batted a bit tired but take nothing away from the Derby bowlers and they bowled really well.
"Tomorrow is all about saving the game which is very realistic, it's potentially only a day three wicket, so that's our target."
Derbyshire paceman Ben Cotton, who took four wickets, said: "The early wickets set us up and we just kept going from there, we were relentless with the ball.
"It was great to see Billy (Godleman) get 200 and we knew we had a good platform and it was our job to make early inroads.
"There was just a fraction of movement off the wicket and that extra bit of bounce but other than that it wasn't doing a great deal.
"That wicket before the close (of Daryl Mitchell) sets us up for tomorrow. We only have to take nine wickets to win the game.
"When the lights are on the ball seems to go through a little bit more and I think that's why we got a little bit more bounce out of the wicket but we don't scientifically know why."
