Matt Mason was full of praise for Worcestershire’s efforts with bat and ball on day two of the Specsavers County Championship match with Durham at New Road.
The County will clinch promotion if Durham, who will resume tomorrow on 142-5, lose four more wickets inside the first 110 overs.
That will take Worcestershire up to the six bonus points needed at the start of the game to make sure of a return to Division One regardless of events elsewhere involving Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.
Assistant coach Mason told BBC Hereford-Worcester’s Dave Bradley: “The wicket hasn’t played as we expected. It has seamed a lot with both new balls today.
“Ashwin, Ben Cox and Ed Barnard all did a fantastic job in getting us our total and then I thought the bowlers hit great areas.
“We weren’t focusing too much on what is going on elsewhere. We haven’t talked about what points we need.
“We just wanted to win the game, knowing that if we played the game like we have done all year, that would be the best way to approach it.
“That’s why we have won the games we have done.”
Josh Tongue’s two wickets means he needs only three more to reach 50 in Championship cricket in his first season of senior cricket.
Mason said: “Fourteen consecutive championship matches as a fast bowler as a 19-year-old is a terrific effort.
“He’s stayed fit, he’s still challenging batters, and this time next year, if we keeps going the way he has done, I think he will be looking at a winter tour somewhere.”
