Worcestershire Put The Leash On Derbyshire
Moore - another century.
Stephen Moore made his fourth LV County Championship century of the season as Division Two leaders Worcestershire turned up the heat on Derbyshire at New Road.
The 27-year-old scored 156 to enable his side to set the visitors a daunting victory target of 404 in a minimum of 112 overs.
By the close Derbyshire were 34-0 after being spared the challenge of facing paceman Simon Jones who did not bowl as a precaution because of tightness in a hamstring.
Moore, on the wanted list of at least seven other counties, was again in devastating form to become the second batsmen in the country this year to register 1,000 Championship runs, the first having been his skipper Vikram Solanki.
He notched four sixes and 15 fours off 168 balls and along the way put on 172 in 33 overs for the third wicket with Ben Smith who scored an unbeaten 72 which contained five fours off 100 deliveries.
Worcestershire, however, had to ride their luck when they began to build on a first-innings lead of 107.
Daryl Mitchell, on 26, was dropped at first slip by Chris Rogers who then added to his side's frustration by putting down Moore when he was on 22. The unlucky bowler on both occasions was Jon Clare.
Rogers' two lapses enabled the Pears duo to go on and compile 93 in 22 overs before the visitors started to make inroads thanks to West Indian paceman Wavell Hinds who grabbed two wickets in three balls.
Firstly, he had Mitchell caught at slip by Clarke and then followed up by having Solanki held at cover by Graham Wagg for his first duck of the season.
Moore, however, carried on regardless and lofted a six over the long-off boundary off Hinds to register his fifty at the same time as putting Worcestershire into three figures in the 24th over.
He added another six, this time over long-on off Kevin Dean, shortly after Smith had survived a one handed chance to wicketkeeper Tom New off Hinds while on eight.
By the time Moore reached his first ton of the season at New Road he had 11 fours, as well as the two sixes, to his credit off 109 balls.
After being dropped by Hinds at long-off off Clarke while on 123, he went on to overtake his previous highest Championship score this summer of 129 against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham last week.
He was finally bowled when going down the wicket to Greg Smith before Worcestershire, winners of their last three Championship matches, declared on 296 for three.
Derbyshire, needing 301 to avoid the follow on, had resumed in the morning on 278 for six off 89.4 overs and were dismissed for a battling 343 off 105.3 overs.
Jones, who took three wickets for six runs in 10 balls the previous day, finished with figures of 5-110 - his fourth five-wicket haul in the Championship this season.
The Ashes hero claimed his five scalps for just 17 runs in 27 balls and lifted his tally in the competition this summer to 42.
Jones began the day impressively by removing Tom New with his first delivery courtesy of a catch at mid-off by Solanki.
He completed his five-wicket haul by trapping Wagg lbw before Clare offered a smartly taken slip catch to Graeme Hick off Gareth Andrew.
Dean and Charl Langeveldt then added 31 for the last wicket before another Hick catch, this time off young paceman Imran Arif, accounted for Dean for 25.