WORCESTERSHIRE finally ended a seven-year wait for a County Championship Division One victory at New Road today.
The last time the County secured a top-flight success at headquarters was in May 2004 against Gloucestershire.
Their last Division One win otherwise was in August 2007 against Yorkshire at Kidderminster.
Now Worcestershire can boast a stunning six-wicket success over reigning champions Nottinghamshire after chasing down 254 with a little more than four overs left.
The County returned on the final morning knowing they required quick wickets but were a bowler light following Damien Wright’s calf injury on Tuesday evening.
The Australian has been a key component to the New Road attack this summer with 31 wickets.
If the County were to stand a chance of dismissing Nottinghamshire, they needed Gareth Andrew and Jack Shantry to give Alan Richardson plenty of support.
However, the tone of the day looked to be set from the first couple of overs with too many edges finding their way to the boundary.
With the visitors starting to get the wind in their sails, the County began to appear deflated in the field as another winning position threatened to slip from their grasp.
Shantry made the breakthrough the County so desperately required when Samit Patel, resuming the day on 52, edged him to Vikram Solanki at first slip for 84.
Nottinghamshire were now on 154-6 and starting to build a lead that could have been tricky for the New Road men to chase down.
Ex-England wicketkeeper Chris Read went on to record a fine 120 not out in between Shantry dismissing Paul Franks (14) and Andre Adams (15) to set up a run chase for the hosts.
The Trent Bridge men had 250 in mind with around 50 overs for Worcestershire to try and get them in.
But, with that target slipping by, Read went on the attack and smashed Richardson, who remained stranded on 399 first-class wickets, for three sixes in what turned out to be the final over.
Steve Rhodes’ men had to pursue 254 off 50 overs, but they did it inside just 46.
However, the response could hardly have got off to a worse start as James Cameron was trapped lbw by Charlie Shreck in the second over with Worcestershire yet to get off the mark.
Matt Pardoe and Solanki saw the County through to tea at 50-1, still requiring another 204 runs from at least 30 overs.
The duo upped the run-rate after the tea interval and both went on to record half-centuries before Pardoe was bowled by Adams for 54 attempting to drive to leave the County on 117-2 with 18 overs remaining.
Worcestershire sent in Andrew as they looked to chase down an unlikely victory and, with Solanki, he bludgeoned the Nottinghamshire attack.
Racing along to 179-2, Andrew (31) and Solanki (85) both went in the same over to Patel to leave them on 186-4 with Moeen Ali (35no) and Alexei Kervezee (40no) the new men at the crease.
The duo led Worcestershire to a stunning six-wicket success by continuing in the same vein as those who went before them.
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