Worcestershire Under-17s were involved in a hard fought draw with their Gloucestershire counterparts in the opening ECB County Championship fixture of the season at King's School, Gloucester.
The visitors obtained a first innings lead of 61 and then declared at 201-9 in their second innings.
Gloucestershire, faced with a 263 target, were 72-1 at one stage but the Worcestershire bowlers applied the brakes and picked up wickets at regular intervals as they closed on 193-7.
Worcestershire resumed today on 68-2 and there were useful contributions down their order before the declaration.
Xavier Clarke was joint top-scorer with Jujhar Johal on 26 and he struck four bundaries and added 45 for the fifth wicket with George Hatfield (15).
When Gloucestershire batted, there was the unusual sight of seven bowlers all picking up one wicket apiece.
Mahaaz Ahmed bowled tightly and finished with 1-42 from 17 overs.
Worcestershire Under-17s – second innings continued
(overnight 68-2)
A Hussain c B Charlesworth b O Price 12
Z Hassan lbw b T Price 14
X Clarke lbw b O Price 26
G Hatfield lbw b T Price 15
K Green c B Charlesworth b T Price 1
B Cox c and b O Price 20
M Ahmed not out 20
M Davis b D Hooper 9
B Fitzmaurice+ not out 9
Extras 27
Total (for 9 wickets declared) 201
FOW continued: 70, 88, 133, 133, 141, 159, 180
Bowling
D Hooper 10-1-38-1
G Pritchard 5-0-27-0
J Curtis 12-0-43-0
D Ahmed 7-3-16-1
O Price 21-9-46-4
T Price 6-3-8-3
—–
Gloucestershire Under-17s – second innings
M Ayres c K Green b B Cox 19
B Charlesworth c C Lea b Z Hassan 46
B Allen+ lbw b J Charters 17
T Price* lbw b M Davis 11
O Price lbw b J Johal 5
D Hooper not out 61
H Senior b M Ahmed 11
D Ahmed b C Lea 0
K Chakraborty not out 0
Extras 23
Total (for 7 wickets) 193
FOW: 29, 72, 98, 103, 127, 169, 193
Bowling
B Cox 7-2-21-1
M Davis 12-2-40-1
M Ahmed 17-5-42-1
J Charters 8-1-22-1
J Johal 9-5-26-1
Z Hassan 5-1-13-1
X Clarke 1-0-10-0
C Lea 1-1-0-1
