HALF-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Fell made the lacklustre Australian attack toil as New Road basked in the July sunshine.

Oxford University student Fell made his maiden first-class fifty against a toothless Aussie bowling line-up, which will not have struck fear into the hearts of any English batsmen keeping an eye on the contest.

It is unlikely any of the Baggy Green bowlers who plugged away at Worcester will feature at Trent Bridge next week, with the possible exception of Jackson Bird, who impressed in the first innings.

Five wickets fell before Mitchell and his opposing captain Michael Clarke shook hands on a draw with Worcestershire on 274-5.

Fell (62no) and Ben Cox (25no) tucked into some half-hearted bowling to put on 53 and when Phil Hughes came on to bowl the fourth first-class over of his career, the draw was imminent.

Earlier in the day, Moeen Ali missed out on the chance to become the first batsman to 1,000 runs this season when he was trapped lbw by James Faulkner for 35, leaving him on 953 first-class runs this term.

Matt Pardoe and Moeen advanced the overnight score of 64-1 to 114, before the former was caught at slip by Clarke off Faulkner for a well-made 57, before Moeen followed shortly afterwards.

Alexei Kervezee’s rotten form continued when he was bowled off an inside-edge by Ryan Harris for two, but the hosts dug in to make it to tea with no further loss.

Mitchell reached his second half-century of the match, before a Harris delivery stopped on him and he could only pull it to Faulkner at mid-on.

All in all, a draw was an impressive result for a Worcestershire side shorn of star bowler Alan Richardson and overseas batsman Thilan Samaraweera.

But the happiest man at New Road was chief executive David Leatherdale, who saw bumper crowds flock to New Road for four enjoyable days of cricket.