WORCESTERSHIRE faced the task of trying to keep Gloucestershire at bay in the closely-fought Frizzell County Championship division two match at New Road today.

At the close last night the County led by just 92 runs with five second innings wickets left. Opener Anurag Singh was unbeaten on 36.

Gloucestershire paceman Mike Smith put his table-topping side in the driving seat by taking 3-20, including Vikram Solanki and Kabir Ali in successive deliveries.

Earlier in the innings Graeme Hick had failed to mark his 37th birthday with a high score when he fell for five to Mark Alleyne, who was 35 yesterday.

New Road skipper Ben Smith's men, anxious to get their rain-ravaged campaign off the ground following three successive draws, began yesterday full of fight when Gloucestershire resumed on 66-3 off 25 overs in reply to the County's 175. They were eventually dismissed for 178 in 72.1 overs.

Their decline was hastened when they lost their last four wickets in just 14 balls. Three of the quick-fire quartet fell to Kabir for no runs in seven deadly deliveries.

The other was claimed by his fellow paceman Nantie Hayward who finished with 4-58. His haul included former County opening batsman Philip Weston who top scored for Gloucestershire with 42 containing five fours off 99 deliveries.

His side were able to nudge past Worcestershire's total thanks to a 37-run stand for the seventh wicket between Jack Russell (38) and Ian Fisher (15).