A quartet of Worcestershire CCC batsmen made sizeable contributions and spent invaluable time in the middle on day one of the two day red ball friendly with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Ross Whiteley and new signing Riki Wessels were amongst the runs in Worcestershire’s first innings and Daryl Mitchell and Alex Milton followed suit second time around.
Whiteley smashed 86 off 77 balls with two sixes and 16 fours – a total of 76 in boundaries.
Wessels, who has signed a three year contract after his move from Nottinghamshire, moved to within two runs of his half century before being dismissed.
The pair added 147 for the fifth wicket on a wicket positioned on the Raglan Stand side of the ground.
Worcestershire were bowled out for 237 on the stroke of tea.
It was agreed that both sides will bat for an entire day in this warm-up match and Worcestershire went in again for the final session.
This time it was Mitchell and wicket-keeper Milton who took the honours.
Mitchell weighed in with 47 and Milton was unbeaten on 52 from 89 balls with one six and eight fours.
Worcestershire closed on 146-2 and an overall total of 383-13.
In the first innings, opener Mitchell (8) was lbw to Craig Miles, recruited from Gloucestershire, and captain Brett D’Oliveira (0) was caught behind by Tim Ambrose in the same over.
Tom Fell (19) and Josh Dell (16) added 42 before the former was caught at point off Aaron Thomason.
Dell fell one run later, caught behind off Thomason to leave Worcestershire on 54-4 before the Whiteley-Wessels partnership.
Wessels struck one six and nine fours in his 62 ball knock and looked set for his half century when he was caught at short mid wicket off Henry Brookes.
Milton (1) was caught behind off the returning Miles before Whiteley’s fine innings was ended when he was bowled by Thomason.
Josh Tongue (29) was the main contributor during the remainder of the first innings with Ed Barnard (4), Charlie Morris (0) and Pat Brown (0) the other wickets to fall.
Miles ended with figures of 6-9 off 10 overs and Thomason 3-55 off 10 overs.
Worcestershire batted for a second time in the final session and D’Oliveira (18) was caught at mid wicket off Alex Thomson after a stand of 40 with Mitchell.
Mitchell was caught by the keeper off Thomason before Milton and Dell (19 not out) batted out the rest of the day.
It will be the turn of the County’s bowlers to go through their paces tomorrow when Warwickshire will bat all day.
