Worcestershire stretched their lead beyond 250 on day three of their County Championship clash with neighbours Gloucestrershire.

The Pears, who made 406 in their first innings, were 147-4 at the time of writing.

Earlier in the day, Worcestershire’s bowlers had dismissed Gloucestershire for 301 at Cheltenham.

The hosts were 212-4 overnight but added just 89 runs as they lost their last six wickets.

Joe Leach (3-51), Dillon Pennington (3-39) and Adam Finch (3-72) finished with three wickets a-piece, with Matthew Waite picking up the other wicket to fall.

Crucially, Gloucestershire’s first innings was wrapped up within 110 overs, so Worcestershire secured maximum bowling bonus points, to add to the four batting points they claimed the day before.

Gloucestershire had Oliver Price to thank for a large chunk of their total. He top-scored with 115 from 285 balls and shared a century stand with his brother, Tom Price (46 from 98 balls).

The Pears came out to bat again with a lead of 105 on first innings scored, but lost Gareth Roderick for just 10 - the Price brothers again teaming up, Oliver with the catch this time off Tom’s bowling.

Azhar Ali (16) and Kashif Ali (4) followed not too long later - both victims of van Meekeran - to leave Worcestershire on 55-3.

But Jake Libby and Adam Hose steadied the ship with a fifty partnership before Hose was bowled by Zafar Gohar for 21.

Libby reached his half-century and at the time of writing, extended Worcestershire’s lead beyond 250 alongside skipper Brett D’Oliveira.

After an excellent day two, Joe Leach had praised the discipline and control shown by Worcestershire’s bowlers.

“With the ball, by and large we’ve been very good, very disciplined and controlled the scoreboard very well and, every opportunity we’ve created so far, we’ve taken,” he said.

“It is a pretty good wicket. The heavy roller killed any remaining pace that was in it so it was certainly going to be attritional cricket and I thought we stuck to our task very well.”