Wicket-keeper batsman Alex Milton hit his highest Second Eleven Championship score to lead a Worcestershire fightback on the opening day of the clash with a powerful Yorkshire line-up at RGS Worcester.
Milton had to contend with an attack including Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks, Ben Coad and Liam Plunkett.
But his fine summer with the bat continued as he helped Worcestershire recover from 117-6 to reach a respectable 283 all out after they had been put into bat.
Milton, who has scored five centuries for Cardiff CC in 2017, shared in a seventh wicket stand of 51 with Ben Twohig and 77 for the eighth wicket with Dillon Pennington.
He was eventually dismissed for 91 – eighth out at 245 – after hitting nine fours in his 179 ball knock.
Milton has scored a century for the Seconds – 103 not out against Middlesex at Radlett in 2014 – but that was in a friendly encounter.
By the end of the 10th over Worcestershire were 18-2 with Ollie Westbury (4) lbw to Sidebottom and Tom Fell (12) caught at gully off Brooks.
Josh Dell (30) and Alex Hepburn (28) put on 46 for the third wicket in 18 overs together until the spin of Jack Shutt accounted for the latter who was bowled for 26.
Milton and Dell saw Worcestershire through to lunch at 85-3 off 37 overs.
Two quick wickets fell after lunch to leave the home side on 88-5 but Milton batted solidly throughout the whole of the second session, going into tea on 64 not out.
Milton’s 50 came up in the 65th over off 110 balls and included four fours.
Yorkshire wicket keeper Ben Birkhead had a good second session, taking taking catches and stumping Twohig (11) off Shutt for 11.
Worcs were in a steady position of 196-7 at tea. Milton and Dillon Pennington pushed on in the final session to take Worcs to 245-8 before Milton's fine knock ended when the second new ball was taken.
Nearly an hour's play was lost to rain and Pennington's fine knock of 49 from 95 balls ended and brought a conclusion to the innings.
That left Yorkshire five overs to face in the evening gloom but after three overs the light got too bad and the players were taken off with the Tykes 2-0.
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Worcestershire Seconds – first innings
OE Westbury lbw b RJ Sidebottom 4
TC Fell c AJ Hodd b JA Brooks 12
JJ Dell c BD Birkhead b JA Brooks 30
A Hepburn+ b JW Shutt 26
AG Milton c BD Birkhead b BO Coad 91
ZUA Malik lbw b RJ Sidebottom 1
JA Haynes c BD Birkhead b BO Coad 14
BJ Twohig st BD Birkhead b JW Shutt 11
DY Pennington c and b WMH Rhodes 49
CAJ Morris* b JA Brooks 10
GLS Scrimshaw not out 0
Extras 35
Total (all out) 283 in 96.4 overs
FOW: 1-14 2-18 3-64 4-87 5-88 6-117 7-168 8-245 9-271 10-283
Bowling
RJ Sidebottom 13-6-17-2
JA Brooks 17-2-47-3
BO Coad 15-3-30-2
LE Plunkett 14-3-40-0
JW Shutt 20-4-67-2
WMH Rhodes 15.4-1-49-1
JA Tattersall 2-0-13-0
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Yorkshire Seconds – first innings
JA Tattersall not out 0
AZ Lees* not out 1
Extras 1
Total (for 0 wickets) 2 in 3 overs
Bowling
GLS Scrimshaw 2-2-0-0
CAJ Morris 1-0-1-0
