WORCESTERSHIRE are closing in on their first Frizzell County Championship Division One win of the season.

They began the final day of their match against Gloucestershire at New Road today needing to take a further five wickets to clinch a welcome victory after two defeats and a rain-ravaged draw.

The visitors, who followed on 387 behind, closed last night on 166-5 after they had held up the County's patient progress with a defiant century stand between Tim Hancock and Alex Gidman.

Their determined partnership, however, was broken by the last ball of the day when Hancock shouldered arms to paceman Matt Mason and was bowled for 68, which included 12 fours off 152 balls.

The crucial breakthrough was a deserved reward for the County attack who stuck doggedly to their task throughout a tiring day.

Gloucestershire had been forced to follow on after being removed for 232 in 93.2 overs with paceman Nadeem Malik and spinner Gareth Batty sharing six wickets.

A three-day finish looked a strong possibility when the hard working County reduced the visitors to 55-4 in the opening 24 overs.

Craig Spearman, Phil Weston and Matt Windows all departed cheaply as skipper Ben Smith's men confidently began to tighten their stranglehold.

Spearman was the victim of a brilliant one-handed catch by Stephen Moore off paceman Mark Harrity while Mason accounted for Weston.

Windows was trapped leg before by Mason and then Chris Taylor, on 28, was snapped up behind by Steve Rhodes off Nadeem.

Gloucestershire, however, began a spirited fightback through Gidman and Hancock, although Gidman was fortunate to survive an attempted slip catch by Batty off Nadeem before he had got off the mark.

Both made the most of the chance to prosper until Mason, who finished with a well deserved 3-37, struck to oust Hancock. It left battling Gidman undefeated on 54, while his new partner this morning Shoaib Malik was soon removed by Harrity, caught behind by Steve Rhodes.