TOM Price produced an incredible display with bat and ball as he carried Gloucestershire on the opening day of the County Championship clash with Worcestershire at New Road.
It had been a brilliant start to the day for The Pears as three wickets from Joe Leach reduced Gloucestershire to 45/7 before Price came to the crease.
He provided the resistance for the visitors, frustrating the Worcestershire bowlers and helping his side to recover to end the innings on 231, with the Gloucestershire all-rounder finishing on 109 not-out.
And as if a century was not enough, Price then did the damage with the ball as he produced a brilliant hat-trick inside the 19th over of Worcestershire's reply, as well as removing Ed Pollock to make it four in the session.
18.2 Azhar Ali
— Gloucestershire Cricket (@Gloscricket) April 20, 2023
18.3 Jack Haynes
18.4 Brett D'Oliveira
T J Price you have left us speechless 🤯#GoGlos 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/gZ9tgSNpCX
Gloucestershire won the toss and chose to bat first, but it was a sensational start for Worcestershire as Ben Gibbon took two wickets in his first over when Chris Dent (0) nicked one to Jack Haynes and James Bracey (0) was caught by Jake Libby.
Leach then joined the party and removed Miles Hammond (4), with Libby taking a fantastic catch in the gully before Australian Ashes squad member Marcus Harris (1) was trapped LBW to leave Gloucestershire 8/4.
Gloucestershire looked as if they had come out the other end of the brutal opening spell but they then found themselves five down when Oliver Price (11) was LBW to Leach, who had his third wicket of the morning.
The visitors only added eight more runs before Pennington got in on the act as Graeme van Buuren (14) skied one into the air before falling into the hands of Ben Cox.
Gloucestershire were desperate for the lunch break but were to lose one more wicket before heading off as Jack Taylor (10) was brilliantly caught by Gibbon to give Pennington his second of the session.
Gloucestershire's Zafar Gohar and Tom Price began the recovery mission in the remaining overs before lunch, getting to the break at 73/7.
The pair continued to build towards 100 runs in the afternoon session but Leach brought the partnership to an end just as they were approaching the 50 mark when Gohar (22) was brilliantly caught by Cox after a thick edge.
Eight down, Worcestershire were closing in but in Price, Gloucestershire were still swinging and a couple of big sixes saw them over the 100 mark.
Marchant de Lange was lucky to not be the ninth wicket as Brett D'Oliveira dropped him on 10 in the 36th over.
Price kept up his form at the other end and dispatched a few short balls to the boundary to bring up his half-century, keeping his side alive in the first innings.
But the ninth wicket did finally arrive as De Lange, having hit a huge six a couple of balls before, top-edged a Josh Tongue delivery into the air and eventually into the hands of Cox for a swift 22 off 26 balls.
But Price continued to play brilliantly and the all-rounder surpassed his career-best of 71* before a few more eye-catching shots saw him complete his century off 93 balls, with eleven 4s and four 6s.
The innings finally came to a close in the 54th over when 11th man Ajeet Dale was run-out for 22 and tea was taken.
Worcestershire openers Jake Libby and Ed Pollock made a steady start, reaching the 50-run mark before Libby went for 27 after being trapped LBW by Dale.
Then came the incredible moment for Price with the ball as he topped off a wonderful personal display with a hat-trick. Azhar Ali (0), Brett D'Oliveira (0) and Jack Haynes all nicked through to James Bracey in a stunning spell for the 23-year-old.
18.2 Azhar Ali
— Gloucestershire Cricket (@Gloscricket) April 20, 2023
18.3 Jack Haynes
18.4 Brett D'Oliveira
T J Price you have left us speechless 🤯#GoGlos 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/gZ9tgSNpCX
He even had time to take another wicket as Bracey produced a stunning diving catch to dismiss Pollock for 34.
Matthew Waite and Ben Cox were putting together something of a recovery before Cox was trapped LBW by Dale for 15.
At the time of print, Worcestershire were 113/6, with Waite 34* and Joe Leach 1* at the crease.
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