WORCESTERSHIRE were today frustrated in their chance to wrap victory over rivals Warwickshire in their opening LVCC Division Two match of the season as the elements came to the hosts rescue and the game ended in a draw.

Despite being bowled out for 249 in the first innings, the New Road side dominated this game with Stephen Moore, Vikram Solanki and Graeme Hick all hitting centuries in this four-day match.

But the County will be left ruing the fact that they declared far too late on Friday to seal victory.

Wanting to make sure that they had enough runs on the board to ensure the Bears could not reach their total was one thing, but with the rain forecast for today, Worcestershire just didn't leave themselves enough time to dismiss the hosts.

Steve Rhodes overhauled his seamers in the winter and they all looked lively, but after the neck injury to Simon Jones at the start of the second day, Worcestershire aired on the cautious side and it cost them.

Warwickshire started the final day 26-3 and managed to frustrate Worcestershire for the opening hour of the day.

The Bears even got two slices of luck as both Lee Daggett and Michael Powell were dropped behind the stumps.

But then Gareth Batty, who finished last night with figures of 4-4-0-2, had nightwatchman Daggett stumped by Steven Davies for 17, before Hick held to an edge from Powell (31) - again Batty doing the damage.

Australian Steve Magoffin got in on the act before the lunch break as Daryl Mitchell, at third slip, held on to an edge from Navdeep Poonia, who failed to trouble the scorers.

Kabir Ali got his first wicket of the day three overs after lunch as Luke Parker (20) tried playing across the line of the ball and managed to find Batty in the gully.

Tony Frost (46 not out) and Ant Botha (18 no) managed to frustrate Worcestershire for the session after lunch and then bad light and rain came to the Bears rescue as they finished on 164-7 still 317 runs short of the New Road side's two innings total.

Reaction in Monday's Worcester News, plus a report from tomorrow's Friends Provident Trophy game at Gloucestershire Gladiators as well as Michael Reeves from the New Road End. On Tuesday there is the second installment of Gareth Batty's exclusive Worcester News column.

Don't forget their will be live coverage on thisiswccc.co.uk from Bristol tomorrow.