Title-chasing Worcestershire Seconds fought out an exciting draw with a strong Yorkshire Seconds side on a rain-affected final day of the Championship match at RGS Worcester.
Skipper Charlie Morris set the Tykes a target of 264 in a minimum of 53 overs but 16 of those overs were lost to the elements and they closed on 260-7.
Alex Lees hit a rapid century for Yorkshire but George Scrimshaw and Ben Twohig picked up seven wickets between them to keep alive Worcestershire's own victory hopes.
Coach Kevin Sharp's side can take a lot of satisfaction from the way they competed over the three days against a powerful line-up.
To recover from a testing start and gain a sizeable first innings lead was ecouraging with Alex Milton, Adam Finch, Alex Hepburn and George Scrimshaw all making telling contributions during the game.
Worcestershire resumed on 82-2 in their second innings and Hepburn completed a half century.
He made 56 off 105 balls with nine fours before he was sixth out at 133.
Josh Dell (31), Jack Haynes (21) and Ben Twohig (20 not out) all made useful contributions before the declaration at 177-9.
Yorkshire openers Lees and Jonathan Tattershall (30) put on 95 in 15 overs before the latter fell to Twohig.
Will Rhodes (34) helped Lees add a further 58 before he was bowled by Twohig.
Scrimshaw then got in on the wicket-taking and he captured the vital one of Lees who made 135 off 110 balls with five sixes and 10 fours.
He was seventh out at 250 and the game ended in an honourable draw. Scrimshaw ended with 4-63 and Twohig 3-100.
—–
Worcestershire Seconds – second innings continued
(overnight 82-2)
Dell lbw Plunkett 31
Hepburn c Plunkett b Coad 56
Milton lbw Sidebottom 2
Malik lbw Plunkett 5
Haynes c Birkhead b Rhodes 21
Twohig not out 20
Pennington lbw Thompson 2
Morris c Birkhead b Thompson 8
Scrimshaw not out 1
Extras 18
Total (for 9 wickets declared) 177
FOW continued: 82, 97, 106, 133, 151, 162, 176
Bowling
Sidebottom 6-3-9-1
Brooks 10-2-40-1
Coad 11-2-21-2
Plunkett 6-2-18-2
Shutt 4-0-15-0
Rhodes 9-3-33-1
Thompson 6-1-21-2
Hodd 1-0-4-0
—–
Yorkshire Seconds – second innings
Tattersall c Westbury b Twohig 30
Lees c Milton b Scrimshaw 135
Rhodes b Twohig 34
Waite b Scrimshaw 11
Hodd c Fell b Scrimshaw 0
Plunkett c Fell b Twohig 7
Thompson b Scrimshaw 15
Birkhead not out 9
Brooks not out 1
Extras 18
Total (for 7 wickets) 260 off 37 overs
FOW: 95, 153, 168, 179, 221, 221, 250
Bowling
Scrimshaw 11-0-63-4
Morris 2-0-22-0
Finch 5-0-35-0
Twohig 15-0-100-3
Malik 3-0-19-0
Hepburn 1-0-10-0
